Cold Hearts
by PurpleNinjaCat278
Summary: College AU. Elsa always dreaded going back to school, but at least she could look forward to the friendly environment of Fantasy Academy. As she settles into another year of college as a junior, she meets the new student on campus: a handsome white-haired boy named Jack Frost. How will their relationship turn out? And how will she cope with the heartbreaking secret behind him?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! So I recently watched Frozen and I guess I could say that I'm obsessed. I can't help it though! It's amazing. I also had the idea of writing a Frozen/RotG college AU floating around in my mind, and I just had to write it. I hope you all enjoy it and let the show begin! Most of the characters in this story are mostly from Disney and DreamWorks, but I may throw in some from other animation companies.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any character from Disney or DreamWorks. I also don't own any modern and real-life things that are mentioned in this story. I'm sure you will know where they originally come from.**

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**Elsa's POV**

Ugh. It was that time of the year once again. The first day of school was approaching rapidly, and I dreaded every last minute that ticked on away, bringing me closer to that exact date. In only half a week, I will officially be a junior in Fantasy Academy. This academy is a very prestigious college that my parents enrolled me in while I was still a junior in high school. I never like to recall that place… The old high school that I attended was the most traumatic moment in my life.

I was frequently bullied, mocked, and the teachers were complete idiots. I failed nearly every assignment and I made absolutely no friends. The only person I considered my friend was my very own sister, Anna. She is two years younger than me, and was a freshman at the time. People seemed to treat her better and even show sympathy toward her, while all they did to me was pretend that I was never even there.

My parents drew the line there. They decided to pull me out of that terrible school and put me into a more…comfortable one. Or should I say private. Fantasy Academy was very much indeed a private school that was quite expensive, but my parents didn't care. They wanted me to get a good education, while also allowing me to make friends and have fun. And I must say, they made a fantastic choice.

So far, the Academy is all I have ever dreamed of. This school is unlike any others; it offers all grades: elementary, middle, and high school, and also has college grades at the very top. It's extraordinary! After I was enrolled into the Academy, my parents placed Anna in as well. She protested at first, saying that she was just fine with the old high school and that moving away meant leaving all her friends behind. But when she took a tour through the school, she instantly fell in love.

So here we are today; me readying to take on another year of college and Anna to experience her first as a freshman.

"Elsa!" Anna poked her head around the door to my room and smiled. "Are you packing?" I stood up from my desk, where I was engrossing myself into my laptop, and stretched my stiff limbs. I checked my phone for the time: it was nearly ten at night. Wow, I've been on the computer for about two hours. Blame it on Tumblr for consuming my life!

I chortled softly and set my phone down. "Yeah, I'm getting to it,"

"Come on! We leave first thing tomorrow morning back to Fantasy Academy!" She sauntered into my room and did a spin, but let out a sudden yelp as she slipped and almost fell. I laughed as she steadied herself upright, grinning sheepishly as her cheeks turned red.

"You're such a klutz," I walked up to her and playfully slapped her arm. She scowled at me and stuck her tongue out, but immediately started giggling afterwards.

"I know… but get your stuff together! I'm so excited!" she sung those last words out as she ran out of the room, her bare feet producing loud taps against the wooden floor. I shook my head at her bubbling excitement and grabbed my limp suitcase on the ground. Don't get me wrong, I was excited to go back too, but not to study and work late nights on procrastinated work.

I moved over to my wardrobe and yanked it open. Almost immediately, a heap of clothing, all mostly shirts, pants, and dresses, spilled out like an avalanche. I groaned as the clothing accumulated as an enormous pile of scattered shoes and wrinkled fabric.

"Ooh, that's a mess," My head turned to see Anna standing at my doorway, a bag of Doritos in one hand and the other stuffing chips into her mouth. I stroked a loose strand of platinum blonde hair away from my forehead and returned my gaze back to the disorderly pile.

"Oh, you're back?" I tried to sound disappointed, but it came out as a delighted snicker.

"Why yes," she said with a mouthful of nacho chips. "Want some?" She offered the bag to me. I shook my head and began to sort out my clothing.

"Go away, Anna. I have to get my clothes organized." My hands found a pair of black skinny jeans, which were my absolute favorite to wear. I placed that on top of my bed where the 'clothes I want to bring to the Academy' pile was.

Anna groaned. "Fine. But I'm gonna take this," I see her walk over to my desk and pick up my blue iPod. She would occasionally borrow it and listen to it, and I didn't mind, most of the time. She scooped it up, and at the same time got nacho cheese residue on it. I winced as she did, but kept silent. I guess I will just clean it after.

"I'm going to get to bed now. G'night, sis," she said and left the room.

I continued to sort through my clothing and pulled out a comfy blue sweater with snowflakes littered on the neck scoop. It was one of my favorite things to wear. For some odd reason, I really loved winter. The snow and ice was a beautiful sight and calmed me. What's even weirder is that I feel cold all the time. Like even when I'm sitting in my heated room, I still feel like there are particles of ice floating around within me; even my hands feel frozen when I try my absolute best to warm them up.

I guess I could get excited once again. Winter is coming in only a few months and soon the summer heat of August will fade and be replaced with cold air. Anna says she hates the cold, but I love it.

I perked up as a series of vibrations ravish my phone, indicating that I have received a text. I abandoned my packing for now and jumped up to go grab my phone. My fingers shoot across the screen and the text message floats up. My face lightens up as I see who it was.

_Rapunzel – Hey girl! What time are you arriving at the academy?_

It was Rapunzel! Or she would always remind me to call her Punzie, a cute nickname. She was my roommate during my freshman year in college and we instantly became best friends. Aside from Anna, Punzie is my closest friend. The first time I saw her about two years ago, I thought she was a complete nut, like Anna. She was overly hyper, loud, and sometimes obnoxious. But after a while, I grew use to her and we eventually became friends.

I smiled as I responded back to her.

_Elsa - Hi! Anna and I will be there tomorrow around noon. You know it takes about three hours to drive there from where we live… haha_

I pressed the 'send' button and laid my phone back down on the desktop. My eyes shifted back over the jumble of clothing covering most of the carpet and I heaved a sigh. I checked the clock hanging above my doorway: it was almost eleven.

_Dammit! I really need to get packing. We leave really early tomorrow morning._ I thought to myself and practically threw myself to the ground, gathering every article of clothing I found decent and throwing it into my suitcase. I heard my phone vibrate again and dragged my body along the carpeted floor to retrieve it. I then proceeded to be distracted by a conversation with Rapunzel.

_Rapunzel – Lol! And awesome! I can't wait to see you guys again. It's been a pretty boring summer where I live…_

_Elsa – Yeah, ikr. Anna's been driving me crazy. I think it must be hormones._

_Rapunzel – Haha, hormones? Does she have a boyfriend?_

_Elsa – No… Why?_

_Rapunzel – Maybe she's just looking for love. Like a wild peacock._

_Elsa – What? A peacock? Wow, you're so weird, Punzie…_

_Rapunzel – And that's why you love me :)_

_Elsa – Yep. Do you want to meet up with us tomorrow?_

_Rapunzel – Sure! Where should we meet?_

_Elsa – How about in front of the academy? Where we have to sign in and stuff._

_Rapunzel – Okay, sounds good! _

_Elsa – Yeah! I better get back to packing now. So I'll meet up with you tomorrow, then?_

_Rapunzel – Definitely! See you tomorrow, love!_

_Elsa – Yeah, you too! Bye!_

I turned off my phone and placed it into my purse that hung on my bed post. I'm definitely not leaving my phone here while I go away to school; it's one of the essential things in my life. I go back to my suitcase and swear not to get distracted again until I'm fully packed.

But then a friend of mine from the academy messages me on Facebook, and I get sucked into that. I can tell it's going to be a long night.

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**I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Please review and tell me what you think. Leave a favorite/follow too if you really loved it.**


	2. Chapter 2

I felt something soft yet hard at the same time smash into my face. My eyes flutter open only to be blinded by a pillow covering my face, nearly suffocating me. I fling the pillow off and glare at Anna, who stands at my doorway, all dressed and ready to go. She wears a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, brown boots that reach her knees, and a black and white striped shirt with a light green cardigan over all of that. Her strawberry blonde hair was in a tight bun with a green ribbon tied in there. For once, she's actually wearing an outfit that pleases my weary eyes.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty!" she chimes, her red lips curving into an amusing smirk.

"Anna…" I slowly turn my head toward the alarm clock that rests on my side table. "Why… it's only seven…"

"We gotta go, gotta go, gotta go!" she exclaimed in a perfect sentence without stuttering. I groan and slam my face into the pillow. I then feel something soft, probably another pillow, collide with my back. I force myself to stand up, bringing both hands in front of me defensively.

"Okay, okay! I'm up." I said, aiming a scowl at my pestering sister.

"Good! Now hurry up and get dressed. Mom already made breakfast!" Anna turns around and hastily walks down the hallway toward the kitchen. I groan again and shuffle to the bathroom, suppressing a long yawn as I did and rubbing the last remaining traces of sleep from my eyes. I take a quick shower, and walk back to my room with a towel wrapped around me and a turban spun through my wet hair.

I open my wardrobe, which has been pretty much emptied out due to me stuffing whatever clothing I can into my suitcase for today. I close the doors and walk over to my closet. This is where I would usually store my 'nicer' clothes like dresses, skirts, and heels. I open it and look through the various dresses. Most of them are the color of the sky during a sunny day, and a few are other colors such as red, green, and purple. I typically wear blue, but Anna disapproves of it because I should vary the colors I wear every day.

My gaze scans over the layers of beautiful dresses, but a particular one catches my eye. It's a strapless one that goes down to my mid-thighs; it's crystal blue with tiny glittering gems embroidering the deep scope of the neck. I smile and grab it off of the hanger. I pull it on with much ease and look at myself in the mirror with contentment. The only thing that concerns me is that it shows a bit more cleavage than expected. Hopefully my parents don't notice it.

I slip on a pair of black pumps that make me at least a good two inches taller and put on a black shawl over my shoulders in case it gets chilly. But the cold never bothered me anyway. I stare at myself in them mirror and my eyes skim over a dark mahogany jewelry box sitting upon my dresser. My mother gave it to me when I turned sixteen, and her mother gave it to her as well when she was a teenager.

I opened the tiny box and sorted through the many necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. I decide not to wear too much jewelry and find a necklace. But it's no ordinary necklace: it's a hand-woven cord with a glittery snowflake pendant attached. Rapunzel gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago and I have not stopped wearing it since. I act like it's some kind of sacred ornament that I have to guard with my life, but in reality, I just really love and cherish it. I hook the necklace around my neck and stare at it for a moment, marveling at its beauty.

"Elsa!" A sudden and loud knock erupts outside the door and Anna bursts through, her blue eyes searching around speedily. But as soon as she sees me, her mouth hangs open. "Oh my God!" she gasps and runs up to me, her hands clutching my shoulders. "You look gorgeous!"

I laugh softly. "Wow, thanks."

"Why are you all dressed up?" she asked, her eyes sweeping over me from head to toe.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just felt like it."

"Well, you look amazing. I'm sure a lot of guys will check you out, hmm?" she elbows me gently in the ribcage and winks.

"Anna!" I punch her playfully in the arm. "That's not the purpose of this…"

She rubs her arm and giggles at the same time. "I know, sorry. I'm just-" She pauses and stares toward the floor.

"Just what?"

"When are you ever going to get a boyfriend?" she asked, a sly grin forming upon her lips. I scoff and pulled the turban off of my head, allowing my tangled hair to fall over my face.

"That's none of your business," I said cheekily. I grab the brush off of the dresser and begin to straighten out the knots in my snowy blonde hair.

"Oh, yes it is! Come on, Elsa, you're twenty-two and you have never had a love life. Do you see what's wrong with this picture?" Anna states, her hands settling on her hips.

"Oh? Look who's talking. You're last boyfriend was a complete cheater and jerk." I snapped.

"You're right. James was totally not my type anyways-" I sighed and started braiding my hair. "And!" Anna holds up a finger. "-at least I _had_ a boyfriend."

"Anna, please… Just leave me be. Let's not bicker about love, shall we?" I tighten the end of my braid and drape it over my shoulder, like it usually is.

Anna lets out a huff. "Alright. C'mon then. There's pancakes and bacon in the kitchen." As soon as she said that, the delicious aroma of freshly made breakfast drifted into my room from the open door. I tilted my head up, sniffing the air with delight. The hassle from only a few moments ago faded to the back of mind and all I could think about was how hungry I was.

I ruffle the loose hair on my head and swipe a lone bang from my forehead. "Okay, let's go!" I brush pass Anna, who hurries after me, and walk down to the kitchen.

My mother and father both sit at the table, my mom sipping from a cup of coffee and my dad reading the newspaper. Oddly enough, I now feel happier even though Anna roughly woke me up and also nearly made me want to cuss her out.

"Good morning," I said to them with a smile on my face. Both of them looked up from what they were doing and gazed in wonder at my appearance.

"Oh honey," My mother got up from her seat and hugged me. "You look stunning."

"I agree," My father kept seated and held onto the newspaper, but his eyes gleamed with candor.

"Come, come, have a seat," My mother gestured to the two open chairs next to them and I took a seat, with Anna sliding in next to me. I grabbed a plate and began to pile it with a stack of three pancakes and a few strips of bacon. Anna slathered even more pancakes and bacon onto her own plate. I gave her a look.

"What?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"You must be really hungry," I commented and watched as she poured what seemed to be an entire bottle of maple syrup all over her pancakes.

"Well yeah! I love food. Plus, we don't want to be on empty stomachs when we arrive at the academy." Anna said, cutting a pancake and stuffing it into her awfully big mouth. I nodded in agreement and began digging into my food, but not as messily as Anna.

"So, are you girls excited to be going back to school?" My mother asked.

"Yeah!" Anna exclaims almost immediately through a mouthful of chewed pancakes and dripping maple syrup. I sigh and slightly grimace at her unladylike manners. I straighten my posture and continue to stab each pancake piece, plopping them into my mouth with pleasure.

"Oh boy," My father chortles deeply at Anna. "That's good. How about you, Elsa?"

"I'm quite excited too, but I'm not looking forward to studying and the piles of homework." I said and took a small sip from my orange juice.

"Ah, I was like that too at your age," My father recalls. "But don't worry. Just do you best and you will surely flourish." I nod and smile, but say nothing.

"Are you looking forward to your majors?" My mother asked, her hands curling around her steaming mug.

"I know I will. Music will definitely be a blast!" Anna beams as she picks up her glass of apple juice and takes a long gulp.

"I hope Liberal Arts isn't too difficult," I said, staring down at my untouched strips of bacon. Anna reaches over and takes a piece, and I don't swat her away for once.

"Liberal Arts? Isn't that languages?" Anna asked, chewing into that bacon that she had stolen from me.

"Well, that's part of it. But it's mostly the study of life."

"Biology?"

"No, that's the sciences, you dummy. I mean, _civic_ life, as in how to live properly throughout a society. Not only is language part of it, but also culture and history."

"Interesting." My mother smiles at me and checks her watch. She nearly gasps. "Oh my, you girls should be heading out now. The academy opens up for registrations at noon, right?"

Both of us nod and continue to finish up our breakfast.

"Okay. In that case, you should probably think about finishing up. I know the line to get in will be horrendously long."

"Oh yeah, you're right. Hurry up, Elsa!" Anna stuffs the last piece of bacon into her mouth and runs down the hallway to her room. She doesn't even bother to clean up after herself either. I sigh.

My mother stands up to pick up after Anna. She looks at me and says, "Elsa?"

I look up at her. "Yeah?"

"Make sure to look after Anna carefully. I know you've been good with doing that for the past few years, but she's been oddly…bouncy lately."

I laugh. "Isn't she always like that? But yeah, I agree with you. No worries, mom. Anna will be kept in place when I'm around."

My mother smiled and came up to kiss me on top of the head, like what she would do when I was a child. "Thanks, sweetie. I would appreciate that." I get up and place the last remaining dirty dishes into the dishwasher. I excuse myself and speed-walk toward my room. My lumpy suitcase sits on the floor, looking almost like a bloated whale. I had stayed up to two in the morning packing most of my clothing and any essential items to take to college.

I picked up the suitcase and turned it upright; I grunted as the outstanding heaviness nearly brought me down. My turquoise and black plaid messenger bag and purse were in the very corner of my room, causing me to almost forget about them. I grabbed those as well and set out of my room, taking one last glance at the deep blue plush covers on my bed and the various posters, including The Hunger Games, Lady Gaga, and Game of Thrones, plastered across all four walls. I smiled and stepped out, shutting the door tightly behind.

I heard stumbling to my right and turned to see Anna struggling to carry her suitcase. She had her favorite forest green backpack hugging her shoulders and her Coach purse slung across her chest.

"Do you need help?" I asked.

She shook her head, despite the obvious battle that she was having with her burdening suitcase. "Nah… I… got this," She slowly passed me and made her way to the door that lead outside. Dad soon aided her in hauling her stuff to the car. I made my way outside with less difficulty than Anna and heaved the suitcase into the trunk of my very own silver Ford Fusion. I've had the car since I was a senior in high school, and I'm proud to own such a marvelous beauty.

I threw my messenger bag and purse into the backseats, whilst watching Anna search through her purse.

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"Gum! My breath smells like a dying skunk." She said, wrinkling her nose.

I roll my eyes and straighten up to see our parents coming out of the house. The both look sad and happy at the same time to see us leave. I move up to them and embrace them both, murmuring remarks like 'I'll be fine' and 'don't worry about me' to reassure them. Anna runs up and hugs them as well, a bit too strongly, since dad lets out a startled grunt as she grips his old and aching back.

"I promise we'll be okay, you guys!" Anna said as mom and dad get teary-eyed. "We will be home for Christmas, like always." She runs up to the car, where I already have the engine on and revving, and plops into the passenger seat. I set the car into reverse and look back as we steer out of the driveway. I see Anna waving to our parents out of the corner of my eye as we drive off back to Fantasy Academy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Anna and Elsa's last name in this story will be Summers. Kudos to the author, Julia Rider, for coming up with it!**

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The three hour drive to the academy flew on by like it was nothing. I got annoyed though because Anna kept on droning on about how this school year will be the best and other means of nonsense. I only responded with low grunts and nodded my head thoughtlessly whenever she would directly ask me something. To my relief, she fell asleep two hours into our traveling, and has been like that until now. I pressed down firmly on the brake pedal as an upcoming stoplight turned yellow, then eventually was replaced by red.

I watched as streams of cars drove pass. There were so many cars that I could barely see the other side of the intersection. I didn't think anything of it; Fantasy Academy is a tremendous school, and over 10,000 students attend it, all different grades. The first year that I went to the academy, I got lost at every nook and cranny that the school had to offer. Thankfully a nearby campus counselor helped me in finding everything okay.

I waited patiently for the light to turn green, and drummed my fingers along the steering wheel. I had the radio on at the low volume so that the music wouldn't wake Anna. I bobbed my head up and down at the irresistible beat of a Calvin Harris song:

_Now everything I do, is all for loving you_

_It's not something that we're used to_

_No other way to say, I need you everyday_

_And I'm gonna change my ways_

_And it's a part of you, I never wanna lose_

_I'll do anything you want me to_

_Like any other day, you know I'll find a way_

_And if ever I'm alone you'll say…_

**(A/N: This song is "Thinking About You" by Calvin Harris ft. Ayah Marar)**

The stoplight switched to green and I snapped out of my musically enhanced trace. I proceeded forward and kept a steady pace along the busy road. The city that the academy was located in was one of the most popular and bustling places in New York: the City itself.

After briefly stopping at a stop sign, I turned a right and there it was. Fantasy Academy stood like a royal castle upon a massive mountain; there were many building structures that housed dormitories, club hideouts, sport centers, and classrooms. The academy offered every single sports team, club, fraternity, sorority, and academic class that you could ever think of.

Tall golden gates surrounded the perimeters of the academy, forbidding any outsider who didn't belong to the school to enter. I drove the car into the parking lot, which could hold more than a thousand vehicles. Even though it was only 11:30, there were already so many cars pouring in and people meandering around.

Soft snores interrupted my hearing, and I glanced over to see Anna still fast asleep, her neck bent at an odd angle and mouth gaping over. I winced; she was definitely going to have a sore neck once she wakes.

"Anna?" I say, my eyes not leaving the road ahead.

No response, and instead she lets out a snort in her sleep.

"Anna." I say again, louder this time.

Still no response.

I groan softly and crank the radio louder. Hopefully the banging musical rhythms of the Ke$ha song now playing will bring her back to reality. It works, and she shifts around, letting out a loud yawn.

"Are we there yet?" she asks groggily.

"We sure are." I say as I find an empty parking space and maneuver the car perfectly in.

"Yay!" She perks up and her eyes widely scan the towering academy before us. Her excitement fades as a painful hiss escapes her lips, and she rubs the back of her neck. "Ow, why is my neck sore?"

"Well, because your neck was bent the entire two hours that you slept. Come on, Anna, it's pretty obvious." I press down the button holding my seat belt in place and it retracts. Before I even open the car door, Anna is already out and prancing around like a wild leprechaun.

"Anna!" I get out and walk quickly up to her, grabbing her arm. "You're embarrassing me."

"Chill out, Elsa!" she says and I arch an eyebrow coincidentally. "I'm just really thrilled about being back. This school is amazing." I purse my lips as I open the trunk and seize the handle of my suitcase, muscles straining.

"I know, I know, sorry. I'm just a bit nervous, that's all." I lug my suitcase out and place it onto the ground. Anna leans over the edge of the trunk to get her own suitcase.

"Don't be!" she says as she pulls it out. "It's a new school year, and it's going to be awesome."

"Elsa!" I hear a familiar and high-pitched voice call to me from behind. I turn around and smile brightly at the girl with very long golden hair and sparkling green eyes running toward me.

"Punzie!" We embrace tightly and I pull back, admiring the classic outfit she was wearing today. She wore blue skinny jeans, fuchsia Converse shoes, and a black t-shirt with the Batman symbol across her chest. Many colorful bracelets hugged both of her wrists, completely blocking out any skin in that area. Her blonde hair was shorter than it was last year, but it still draped down her back and stopped at her armpits.

"It's so nice to see you again!" she exclaimed and when her eyes grazed down my dress, she gasped. "And you look so cute!"

I chuckled. "Thank you. It's one of my favorite dresses."

"Punzie?" Anna poked her head up from the trunk and scuttled over.

"Anna!" The two hugged and before I could allow them to get caught up in a day long conversation, I grabbed both of their wrists and yanked them toward the entrance gates of the academy. The line was already long and gradually growing, so we found our places and waited. Right in front of the golden-gated entrance was a lengthy table with at least five people sitting, interacting with students and signing them in.

"How was your summer?" Rapunzel asked Anna and I as the line slowly began to move.

"It was okay. Most of the time I was bored and Elsa always bossed me around." Anna said.

I rolled my eyes and snorted. "No, I didn't. I just had to control you from hurting yourself."

"Huh? When did I ever get hurt?" she asked, lips puckered in confusion.

"Well, luckily I was there to stop you before you did. But remember the time when we went to Six Flags and you nearly got into a fight with a five-year-old?" Rapunzel covered her mouth with a hand to suppress a giggle and I grinned a little.

"What? I was so hyped to ride the Superman: Ride of Steel and that kid freakin' butted in front of me!" Anna remarked, crossing her arms. Rapunzel and I both laughed at her.

"You're lucky I was there to drag you away before he tattle-tailed on you to his mother." I said.

"Oh my God, that is funny." Rapunzel commented, and I nodded. In a matter of minutes, we found ourselves at the front of line and standing before a young man with neatly-combed auburn hair and emerald eyes. He had sideburns all the way down both sides of his face. I saw Anna perk up as soon as she saw him, and I smirked.

"Hello," he smiled up at the three of us. "Names and grade, please?" Rapunzel went up first and scribbled down something on a piece of paper. As she did so, Anna slid up to my side and elbowed me.

"Wow, he's hot," she whispered to me and looked straight at the man sitting down and talking to Rapunzel. I nodded but said nothing. He was handsome, I can admit that, but he was definitely not my type. After Rapunzel was finished, Anna went up next and I saw her shudder with nervousness.

"Name and grade?" he asked.

"Anna Summers and I'm a freshman in college," she stated, her body slightly jittery and hands clasped behind her back. As Anna and the man talked some more and potentially flirted too, the woman sitting next to him called out to me and gestured toward her. I walked over to her and leaned against the table, staring at her. She looked to be about my age, maybe a year older. Her hair was dyed, or perhaps naturally, a bright red and her eyes were light blue. A lavender hoodie loosely hugged her slender torso.

"Hey there," she said cheerfully. "Can I have your name and grade, please?"

"Elsa Summers and I am a junior in college."

The girl wrote down on a piece of paper and slid it to me, handing her pen to me as well. "Great! I just need you to sign right here and I'll give you your new dorm number." I did as she did and I noticed something as I scribbled down my signature: she was staring at me the whole time, or should I say _observing._ I finished signing my name and handed the paper back to her. Even after I straightened up and waited for her to give me my dorm room number, she still looked up right at me.

"What is it?" I ask. "Do I have something on my dress?" I frantically rubbed my hands over my stomach and down my thighs.

"Oh, no, no!" she finally spoke. "I was just admiring your figure. You know, you have the perfect swimmer body."

I slightly blushed. "Swimmer? Oh no, I don't swim."

"Do you? Tell me, Elsa, can you at least swim?" she asked, her watery blue eyes trained on mine.

"Well yeah," I say. She looks up at me with inspective eyes.

"How would you like to join FAST?"

I blink at her. "Is that a club?"

"Not precisely. It's the Fantasy Academy Swim Team." she says.

"Swim team? Since when did the academy get a swimming team? Last time I was here, there was no such thing." I frowned at her.

"We just created one over the summer. The academy is known for having a team for each sport possible, and I noticed swimming wasn't here. So I founded the team."

"You're the leader?" I asked her.

"More like the team captain. My name's Ariel, by the way." she holds out her small hand and I gently grasp it, marveling at how delicate and soft it felt. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm looking for swimmers to recruit on the team and you look perfect for it."

"Well, I don't kn-" I pause and think for a moment. My parents have not only pushed me to do well academically, but physically too. They always wanted me to join a sports team. My mom said that I would be a great cheerleader, while my dad said I had the legs for a soccer player. I refused their suggestions, since I hated both of those sports. Maybe swimming would be different. I always loved going to the pool and beach over the summer whenever I had the chance to escape the heat.

"I will think about it," I say, and Ariel smiles.

"Okay, that's fine. Here, take this," She hands me a blue flyer that says 'Do you love swimming? Do you love the feeling of winning a race? Then join FAST today! FAST is Fantasy Academy's one and only swim team, and we would love to have you be a part of it! If interested, tryouts will be held Friday, August 29th at 7 pm at the Watterson swimming pool directly in the center of campus.'

"If you decide that you do want to join, come to the pool at this time and date," she points to black-inked font with the information. "Now, back to the task at hand, eh?" She picks up a bulky folder and looks through it. "Ah, here you are, Summers."

She gives me a key with a piece of paper attached to it that reads "Room 278".

"You will be residing in the Crystal dormitory, and you will be in room 278." Ariel hands me the key and I stick it into my purse. "And if you're wondering who your roommate is," she takes a glance at the clipboard in front of her. "You will be with Merida Grizzle."

I nod, but a feeling of sadness flushes my insides. I'm disappointed that I won't be with either Anna or Rapunzel, but I guess the joy of a new school year is making new friends. Hopefully this Merida girl isn't too much of a hassle.

"Thank you." I say to Ariel.

"You're welcome. Have a wonderful new school year. Oh, and I hope to see you on the swim team, Elsa."


	4. Chapter 4

After speaking to Ariel, I went through the golden gates with Rapunzel at my side and Anna excitedly running behind us.

"Oh my God, guys, I have a date tonight!" Anna exclaims as she leaps in front of us. I stop in my tracks, and so does Rapunzel, who gives Anna a surprised look.

"Wait, what?" I stare at Anna quizzically, my hands coming around to rest on my hips.

"Hans asked me out! We're going for a dinner and movie date tonight." Anna says, her eyes fluttering and cheeks blushing.

"You mean the red-headed guy from the registrations?" Rapunzel asks. Anna bobs her head and I just snicker, rolling my eyes as I did.

"Anna, you can't just go out with some guy you just met," I say, focusing my eyes coldly on her.

"But it was love at first sight! I could tell he was into me, like I was with him! Please, Elsa, just let me go. I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm twenty-years-old for crying out loud!" She pleads to me with huge blue eyes that are starting to get teary. I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose.

"Okay, okay. You can go. Just…be careful." I say with a pang of concern in my voice.

"Well yeah. I can take care of myself." Anna says before turning around, a hand firmly on her suitcase handle, and stomped off.

"I certainly hope so," I murmured and followed after her with Rapunzel close behind.

* * *

As we caught up with Anna again, Rapunzel nudged me and asked, "Hey, what dorm are you staying at?"

"Crystal dormitory in room 278." I say and propped my messenger bag strap tightly around my shoulder. The damn thing keeps on sliding off from all of the material inside.

"Ooh! You'll be in the same dorm as me and Anna!" Rapunzel says, excitedly. I look at her and raise my eyebrows happily.

"Really? That's great!" I say.

"Yeah! But unfortunately you won't be either of our roommates…" she looks sadly toward the ground, but I lay a comfortable hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. We'll still hang out all of the time, I promise." Rapunzel smiles at me, and at that moment, I remember something that I need to ask her. "Oh hey, who's your roommate?"

"Anna," she says and my sister jumps into our conversation, her shoulder bumping into mine playfully. I grin and cuff her arm.

"Yeah! Punzie and I are roomies! But I'm sorry that you won't be with us, Elsa…"

I shrug. "Eh, it's alright. As I said before, we will try and spend as much time as possible with each other." The two girls nod and we continue walking around the campus, gazing at the immense buildings and enjoying the feeling of being free again. I watched a crowd of students, most likely high school freshmen, scamper away in a tight bunch. They looked scared, and lost. I thought about going to help them, but Anna's strong grip on my wrist and pulling me kept me from doing so.

"Hey! Ow! What are you doing?" I ask, wriggling my wrist away from her grasp. I see her point up at the structure in front of us and I gape in awe. The Crystal dormitory was surely a doozy; the tall skyscraper-like building looked very new, as if it was just built a few months ago. The windows stood in groups on top of each other and a few were lightened up and bustling with activity.

"Let's go!" Anna and Rapunzel both raced inside, their suitcases clacking loudly behind them. I stood behind, sighing in frustration. Being with those two is literally like taking care of rumbustious toddlers. I grabbed my suitcase and walked calmly through the glass double-doors of the dormitory. The first thing I saw as I entered was a front desk with a young woman sitting, writing in a journal. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Hello, and welcome to the Crystal dormitory! My name is Clarisse and I'm the counselor for this dorm. How may I help you?"

I gave her a small wave. "Hi, um, did you happen to see two girls run in here?"

"Oh yes! I tried to talk to those two but they hurried on by," Clarisse said.

"Thought so," I muttered under my breath. "Do you know where I can find room 278?"

"That is on the third floor directly to your right."

"Okay, thanks!" I smiled at her and made my way to the elevators. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw Anna and Rapunzel waiting for the doors to open. "You couldn't just wait for me?" I mused at them.

"Oh, hi, Elsa!" Anna said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. I rolled my eyes and stood in silence. "Sorry for abandoning you. We were just excited to see our rooms!" The elevator doors opened and we stepped in. "What floor are you on?" Anna asked me.

"Three."

"Oh! Just like us!" Rapunzel beamed at me, and Anna did a little jump of joy.

"Really? That's awesome." I stared at the digital panel above the buttons as we ascended from floors one, two, three… The doors slid open and we all moved outside. This floor consisted of a long hallway covered in thick blue carpeting. Each door was the same: wooden and with the room number in golden engravings. A few doors had personal decorations on them like the names of the people occupying them or cartoon characters. I laughed at one door that had Finn and Jake from Adventure Time.

"Here's our room, Anna." Rapunzel stopped in front of a door labeled 277. My heart did a somersault of happiness in my chest.

"Yay! Our rooms are next to each other!" I ran up to the neighboring door that read 278. Anna and Rapunzel looked at me and smiled.

"How exciting! Now we can go over to each other's room at any time!" Anna said.

I held up a finger. "But not in the middle of the night when I'm sleeping. You know how I feel about people waking me."

"Oh yeah, she gets feisty when people wake her…" Anna whispered to Rapunzel behind a hand, who giggled in response. I heard everything and grunted a low chuckle.

As Rapunzel rummaged through her purse for the key, and with Anna pushing her to find it faster, I took out my own key and slid it into the keyhole. I opened the door and stepped into a very spacious room with elegant furnishing. There were two beds on either side of the room, and it seemed that my roommate had already settled herself in.

Merida sat on her bed to the left, reading a book on her lap. With her head bowed, I could barely see her face through the frizzy mess of her red hair. She looked up at me and immediately closed her book, sliding off her bed to greet me.

"Hi, are you Merida?" I asked.

"Aye, indeed I am!" she said in a thick Scottish accent. So she was Scottish? This should be interesting. "Yer Elsa, right?"

I nodded and began making my way to the bed on the right, which I presume is mine. Heaving the suitcase onto the bed was a huge relief to my throbbing muscles. Merida watched me the entire time, her blue eyes skimming over me.

"Yer not what I expected," she says.

I give her a look. "What do you mean?"

"I thought you'd be a prissy stuck-up bitch," she says, a hand coming up to scratch her chin.

"Excuse me?" I turn around to stare at her.

"No, no, I'm not calling you one. It's just that the past roommates that's I've had were like that,"

"Oh, well, I'm sorry about that." I unzip my suitcase and take out stacks of clothing, setting them neatly on top of the bed.

Merida shrugs. "It's not yer fault, lass. I knew right off the bat that you were one of the nicer ones."

I smile at her. "I appreciate that." My gaze wanders up to look around the room. Merida's side of the room was already dazzled up her own way. The covers on her bed were a blue plaid design, and were very similar to the baggy pajama pants that she wore. Posters of the country of Scotland and the Scottish flag were pinned up above her bed, along with a few mini posters of bands and celebrities. A small lamp, digital clock, and a framed picture of herself and a big burly man sat on the side table next to her bed. I assumed the man in that picture with her was her father, since they both resembled each other.

"So… where are you coming in from?" Merida asks as she picks up her book again and flips through the pages. I noticed that it was a Latin textbook.

"My sister and I are both from Syracuse, New York," I say, my eyes not once leaving my hands as they fiddle with the stuck zipper of one of my jackets.

"Ah, so your sister is here with ya?" Merida gives me a crooked grin.

"Yeah… she's a freshman in college. And she rooms right next to us with my best friend, just so you know."

"Really? That's a nice coincidence that your sister is merely a few footsteps away." The red-head picks up a Gatorade bottle that sits on her desktop and takes a sip from it.

"It definitely is. She drives me absolutely crazy though, but I love her." I move over to the dresser in front of my bed and open it. The cabinets were polished and slid opened with ease, unlike the broken and creaky one that occupied my room back at home. I began stacking clothes inside, one side with pants and the other with shirts. I brought at least ten pairs of pants that were all made out of jean material, except one that were khakis. My shirts mostly consisted of long-sleeves, sweaters, sweatshirts, and cardigans. I had a few hoodies and jackets for when it got really cold.

"Are you Scottish?" I asked Merida without looking up from my sorting of clothing.

"Aye, I am. I moved here when I was ten and have been attending this school ever since." She says.

"Oh cool. That's exciting. I've only been going to this school since I was a junior in high school," I say.

"Is that so? Did you not like your old high school or somethin'?" Merida asks, her head tilting slightly.

I shook my head and directed my solemn eyes to the carpeted floor. "No, it was a hellhole. I hated it. My parents pulled me out and placed me into this academy. I have been happy from then on."

"Well, I'm glad you've found redemption in this school," she gets up and walks over to the mirror that stands on her side of the room. She picks up a brush from her bed and attempts to undo the frizzy tangles in her hair. I giggle softly as she grunts and mutters curses as she fails to even get the brush through her hair.

"Ah, whatever," she throws the brush back on her bed. "Hey, I'm going to go out and hang with some friends. I know you have to stay and unpack, right?"

I nodded and poked some more around my suitcase, picking up a snowman plush. I have had it since I was little and I always sleep with it, no matter how old I am.

"Okay, I'll be going then," she walks toward the door and steps out, closing it behind her. I continue to empty all contents of my suitcase and place the remainder of clothes into the dresser. There is a wooden door painted white a few feet away from and I go over to investigate. To my luck, it's a closet. I can now store the dresses and the abundant amount of shoes that I packed with me. As I pull out a silky turquoise dress to drape on a clothes hanger, a rapping of knuckles fluttered against the outside of the door.

"It's open!" I called out and the door swung open to reveal Rapunzel and Anna.

"Hey girlie!" Rapunzel exclaimed. As the two girls stepped in, I noticed they have brought company. I gazed upon the appearance of two young men: one was incredibly attractive with glossy dark brown hair and a scruffy goatee. I noticed that he was holding Rapunzel's hand as she pulled him in, and I arched an eyebrow in interest. My look of curiosity faded as my eyes fell upon the second man, and I gaped as my heart suddenly picked up pace. He was lanky, but had a bit more muscle than other guys that I have seen. His silvery white hair was disheveled and cascaded down his forehead in shining strands. The next thing that caught my attention was his eyes: they were the color of the ocean on a calm, sunny evening.

His eyes scanned around the room and when they landed on me, my breath hitched in my throat. His blue orbs lightened up as soon as he saw me, but didn't have much emotion to it.

"Oh! Where are my manners?" Rapunzel giggled. "Elsa, this is Eugene, my boyfriend!"

I choked on my own saliva. "W-what? Punzie, when did you get boyfriend?"

"Silly of me! I forgot to tell you, sorry," she said, the slight trace of a grin curling onto her pink lips. "Eugene and I have known each other for a while now, and we started dating over the summer."

Eugene cleared his throat and stepped further into the room so I could get a better view of him. He wore a red and black plaid shirt that was rolled up to his elbows, a pair of loose black jeans, and red Nike shoes. My eyes went to the tight muscles displayed in his arms and saw the tendrils of a tattoo curling from his right forearm and further up.

"Um, hi," he kindly nodded to me. "I commonly go by Flynn Rider, but just call me Flynn."

Rapunzel snorted. "Yeah, you can go by that too. Oh, and Elsa, I would like you to meet Jack," she gestured to the white-haired boy standing near the doorway, his hands deep into the pockets of his blue hoodie. "He's Flynn and I's friend."

Jack snapped his head to me and walked coolly up, a welcoming smile upon his lips. "Hey, nice to meet you," His voice was deep and smooth, sending shivers down my spine. He held out his hand and I gently took it. It was as cold as ice, but as I held on longer, it seemed to warm up.

"Oh! I have to go get ready for my date with Hans!" Anna perked up in sudden panic from her unusual silence. As she bolted for the door, she waved to the rest of us. "Bye Elsa and Punzie and Flynn and Jack!" Her voice drowned out at the end of Jack's name as she fled the room to the one next door.

Flynn chuckled. "She's quite the…wild one, ain't she?"

Rapunzel poked him in the ribs, causing him to grunt. "Yeah, but not as wild as me! Now come on! We have to leave Elsa in peace so she can get situated. Am I right, darling?"

I smiled amusingly and responded with a breathy, "Yeah,"

"Exactly. Let's go!" She shuffled out of the room with Flynn right behind her. Her head poked around the door, blonde hair cascading over her face. "You too, Jack! _Vamonos!"_

Jack briefly lingered around, his blue eyes burning right into me. I ducked my gaze, trying not to look straight at him. His presence was making me oddly nervous. He shifted his footing and began making way for the door. As he was about to leave, he said, "See you later, Elsa."

I looked up and watched as he left. My heart was now pounding into my rib cage like a drill. In that very moment, I believe that I have actually fallen in love for once.


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is in Jack's POV in regard to A Battle Inside My Heart's request. You, my friend, are awesome and thank you so much for reviewing! Do I get those virtual cookies now? Haha. Nom nom nom :)**

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**Jack's POV**

As soon as I stepped out of Elsa's dorm, I could breathe normally again. I leaned on the wall and tilted my head back, my eyes staring into the lights glaring down from the ceiling. I closed my eyes and sighed. Elsa was undeniably _beautiful._ I reopened my eyes and shook my head around. Bangs of my hair fell onto my slightly sweaty forehead and I swept them to the side.

_Pull yourself together, Jack. You have a girlfriend already. Violet would not take me being unfaithful to her rather well._ I thought to myself curtly and clenched my fists.

"Yo, Jack!" I heard Flynn calling my name and I looked up. The brunet walked up to me with Rapunzel clutching his arm. "Do you want to come with me and Punzie to Sweet Frog down in campus?" As much as I loved their frozen yogurt and all of the delicious toppings you got pile on, I had to refuse.

"Sorry, bro, I can't. Violet and I have a dinner date tonight." I say and rub the back of my neck. My gaze wanders to the door of Elsa's room, and I force myself to snap away and focus.

Flynn grinned, revealing perfect white teeth. "Ooh, got a date with your girlfriend, huh?"

"Shut up," I move up and punch him lightly in the arm. He chuckles and slaps my shoulder in a friendly manner.

"I'm just kidding. Alright, well, you have fun." He gives me a little wave and turns around, tugging Rapunzel along with him. "Let's go, sweetheart," he murmurs to her.

"Bye, Jack! See you soon!" Rapunzel calls to me, a smile on her face.

I laugh and wave to her. As soon as they get into the elevators and the doors slide close, I walk up to Elsa's door and raise my hand hesitantly to knock. What the hell am I doing? More importantly, what am I even going to say to her? Before I can bring my hand back and step away, my knuckles quickly strike the wooden surface. I gasp in fear.

Damn, damn, damn, why did I do that? I stand still with my hands clasped behind my back. Sweat beings to form in the small of my back and my heart quickens its pace. I think about running off and forgetting all about this, but the click of the door unlocking and it swinging open keeps me glued in place. Elsa stands wearing dark blue sweatpants that hang loosely around her hips, showing a bit of her light blue panties, and a black tank top. Her platinum blonde hair was still weaved in that cute braid that draped over her left shoulder. I envisioned her naked underneath me as I caressed her body…wait, what?! No, no, no. I bite my lip and shake my head, trying to get the raunchy thought out of my mind.

"Oh hey, Jack!" she sounds surprised, but happy at the same time.

"Hey," I choke out the word as it gets stuck in my throat.

"Do you need something?" she asks, her blue eyes flickering over my face.

"Um, yeah, I was wondering if you'd…" The words cease to come out and I just stand there, frozen and unable to build up anything else to say. "Uhh, um…"

Elsa raises an eyebrow and I see the faintest of all grins twist onto her magenta lips. I am so tempted to slap myself across the face.

I turn bright red in embarrassment and clear my throat. "Oh, uh, I want to get to know you better, like as friends and all," I dig my fingernails into the palm of my hand until it stings.

I swear I see her face sink with slight melancholy, but she keeps a weak smile upon her lips. "Yeah, that would be nice…"

"Yeah, so, uh, would you like to meet up with me and a few friends tomorrow? Like I know you're busy right now with unpacking so how about then?"

Elsa's silent for a moment, and I'm afraid she will refuse. But her face lifts up and she bobs her head. "That would be lovely."

I grin widely and give her a thumbs-up with both hands. "Great! I was thinking the Paradise Café around noon. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's perfect," She smiles at me and plays with a loose strand of her hair. She looks just as nervous as I do.

"Awesome. Well, I have to get going now, but I'll see you tomorrow. Bye!" I turn on my feet and hastily speed down the hall without giving her a chance to say goodbye. I spin around a corner and lean against the wall, hiding from her roaming gaze. I heave a sigh as I feel my thundering heart rate slowly decrease.

* * *

I walk out of the Crystal dormitories with my hands in the pockets of my jeans and my head bowed. The humid August air collides with my face and I gagged in disgust. The heat was always a burden for me and I would rather walk through a raging blizzard than go through a few minutes in this humidity. The iPhone in my pocket vibrated, sending tingling sensations down my thigh. I whipped it out and typed in the pass code, while keeping a steady pace down the cobblestone pathway.

_Violet – Hey boo :) What time will you pick me up for our dinner date?_

I smiled at her text, but my mind suddenly raced to Elsa, and her gorgeous face… Ah! Stop! I stopped abruptly in my tracks, but was unaware of the pack of students traveling behind me. The one in the front bumped into me, nearly bringing me down. They let out a grunt -which sounded masculine- and pushed me away with brute force.

"Watch where you're going, Frosty the Snowman." I groaned in annoyance. Really? People are calling me that now? I'm just the new guy here! They don't even know me.

"What did you just call me?" I turned around to look at the jerk, but gasped in horror. I found myself staring into a familiar set of dark brown eyes surrounded by a pale face and jet black hair that was slicked back: Connor Black, or as I would always call him, Pitch. I called him that because if you put it together with his last name, it would be Pitch Black. I found this quite amusing since he had such a dark attitude toward everything in life.

"Hello there, Jack," Pitch grumbled my name with such loathing.

"Pitch." I glared at him, my eyes not once leaving the dark pits of his own. His brow deepened into a scowl and he waved a slender finger at me.

"What did I say about calling me that ridiculous name?"

I grinned. "I don't care what you say."

Pitch sighed and swiped a hand over his face in frustration. I noticed a girl clinging onto his arm, her eyes glaring right at me. I muttered a curse as I realized who she was: Ursula Spike, who was Pitch's girlfriend and the biggest bitch that you will ever meet.

"You're always the same, Frost," Pitch looked at me. "But tell me, why are you here, in Fantasy Academy?"

I shrugged. "Well, I go here now."

"Really?" Pitch shook Ursula's hands off his arm and walked around me, his intimating gaze observing me up and down. I kept still and gritted my teeth, grinding them together until the roots of each tooth burned with pain. I wanted to run, to get away from this horrible man who I have had a grim past with. Pitch and I have known each other since literally the dawn of time; we went to the same elementary, middle, and high school.

We both lived normal lives in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Believe it or not, Pitch and I were actually really good friends in elementary and middle school, but as we entered high school, we drifted apart. He became friends with these delinquents, who all turned out to be a gang. Pitch, however, was unfazed by this and continued to hang out with them and completely ignore me the whole time. I never saw him as a bad guy at that time, but as he deepened his friendship with the gang, I noticed a change in him. He went from a straight-A, goody two shoes to an arrogant asshole with nothing but trouble on his mind.

Being the 'good guy' that I am, I ended our friendship and went my own way. He didn't take it very well. He threatened to teach a lesson with the help of his gang, and even attempted to sabotage my reputation. I decided that I've had enough of this and moved away from Minnesota, and ended up here in New York City. As I settled here, I was accepted into Fantasy Academy and was determined to get a fresh start on life along with my long-term girlfriend, Violet, who came here with me on her own behalf.

I gave Pitch a cynical look and smirked, "Surprised? But why the hell are _you _here? I thought I left you back in Minnesota!"

"Why yes, you did. But I tracked you down and found out you were attending this school now. And I am determined to make your life from here on now a living hellhole." Pitch glared at me while baring his teeth that looked almost like the sharpened canines of a dog.

"I would like to see you try," I say and shot him a sarcastic grin. Just before Pitch was about to open his mouth to respond, Ursula tugged at the leathery sleeve of his jacket.

"Come on, Pitch, we're gonna be late for the concert!"

Pitch's grayish lips curled into a sly grin. "Looks like I'll spare you for now, Frost. But you've been warn." He began walking pass me with Ursula close to his side, but decided at the last minute to give me a hard shove before stalking away. I fell to the ground with a short yelp of surprise, and then groaned as pain shot up my rear. I glared menacingly toward Pitch and Ursula as they disappeared into a group of more students.

I pulled myself up from the ground and brushed the dust off of my pants. That Pitch is asking for it, and he will get what's coming to him. I dug my hand into my pocket and fiddled around for my phone. I found it and took it out, checking the time. My heart sinks as I stare down at the digital numbers that shine in front of my phone's wallpaper, which is a picture of Violet and I when we went ice skating last Christmas. It was almost 7:30. Crap! I'm going to be late to pick up Violet!

I quickly swipe up her contact in my phone and send her a text:

_Jack – Hey babe! I might be a bit late to pick you up. I'll be at your place around 7:45, kay?_

In a matter of seconds, the iPhone lets out a short ding as Violet's text appears underneath mine. I admire her swiftness when it comes to responding to texts.

_Violet – Okay! Sounds good. See you then :) _

I smile a little and slide the phone back into my pocket. As I race to my car, which is parked all the way across of the campus, my mind wanders aimlessly to a certain blonde girl that has caught my utter most attention merely an hour ago.


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is back in Elsa's POV, but I will occasionally switch it to Jack's.**

**A Battle Inside My Heart: To answer your question, yes, this is the Violet from the Incredibles. At first, I wasn't planning on putting her in the story, and Violet was just an OC that I created. But as I come to think of it, having Violet Parr in this story will spice things up. So yeah! Thanks for reviewing! And I appreciate your kindness :)**

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**Elsa's POV**

I lay on my bed in my dorm, reading Divergent. Anna and Rapunzel are big fans of the book, and they coaxed me to read it and be a part of their 'fandom'. Call me strange, but I typically don't read fictional books. I've always loved nonfictional novels and the immense information that you could get from it. I think it was all because of my history teacher during the 8th grade; his name was Mr. Berry and he changed my entire point of view on nonfiction books. I discovered that I had a hidden passion for historical literature and delved deeper into that as I grew older.

Anna thought nonfiction was utterly boring, and she had a strong love for anything fictional. She begged and persuaded me to read at least one fictional novel, which happened to be The Hunger Games. I caved in as I became interested in the plot of it and read it. After reading that, and becoming a huge fan as well, I moved on to reading more fiction. Next up was Catching Fire and Mockingjay; I literally cried my eyes out at the end of Mockingjay. Anna reassured me by saying that these books weren't real and that I will get over the sadness. Many other books that I read after that included Harry Potter, The Mortal Instruments, and here I am today, currently going on an amazing adventure with Divergent.

Just as I was getting to a very exciting part, the door flung open and Anna jumped in with a rather calm Hans by her side.

"Hi Elsa!" she exclaims and steps further inside. I sighed and placed a cat-shaped bookmark in the spot where I stopped, and closed the book.

"Oh hey, Anna," I say, which is followed by a loud yawn. I glance to my right and look at the digital clock resting on side table: 9:47 pm. Why am I getting so tired when the night is still young? I usually am a total night owl and stay up nearly to two in the morning.

"Aren't you going to ask how my date with Hans was?" she asks promptly, her eyebrows raised and a small smile upon her crimson lips. I see that she's wearing a black dress that falls to her mid-thighs and black high-heels. Her hair was still in the tight bun that it was this morning, except the green ribbon was gone. She looks uncanny, yet beautiful at the same time.

I grunt a low and aggravated sound, my eyes sinking to the snowflake blanket that I lay upon on my bed. I hear Hans chuckle, and look up to see him looking lovingly at Anna, like he thought her question was funny. He wears a white button-down shirt with a black tie, black dress pants, and glossy dark shoes. He looked quite striking.

"Yeah, I was getting to that," I say softly, almost sounding like an irritated whisper. My eyes become heavy with exhaustion but I snap them open and try to keep awake.

"Oh good! So Hans and I went to see The Legend of Hercules, which was really good, by the way!" she looks at Hans who nods and smiles in return. "Then he treated me to dinner at this really fancy French restaurant called _La Grenouille! _Er, that is how you pronounce it, right?"

Before Hans could either nod or speak, I interpreted and said, "_Yes_, it is," It was correct, anyways. I did take many classes of French while here at the academy, and I am still somewhat fluent.

"Okay. Yay! Do you want to know something else, Elsa?" Anna grinned at me. I try my best to conceal my boredom and slight annoyance.

"Surprise me," I say plainly and trace the bumpy outlines of the Divergent title on the cover.

"Hans and I are official now!"

I look up and nearly gag as her very words nauseate me.

"What?" I choke out, my eyes flickering from her to Hans.

"You heard me right! We're a couple now." She leans into Hans' taller and broader stature, and he wraps an arm around her slender waist. They kiss, which is longer than I would like it to be. I nearly scream in disgust. My body propels itself off the bed and I walk quickly over to them. My hand finds Anna's forearm and I pull her away from Hans.

"Okay! That's enough." I say through gritted teeth. As he's about to protest, I shoo him away and out of the room. I close the door behind him, but say a cheerful, "Bye!" before the door slams.

"Elsa! What the hell?!" Anna yells at me, an intense flame of anger burning in her wide blue eyes.

"Look," I raise my hands peacefully and offer a friendly face. "Anna, I don't approve of you dating Hans."

"What?" She gives me a baffled look.

"I just don't trust him. Come on, I'm just trying to look after you. And besides, you two just met a day ago."

"You're just jealous, aren't you?!" Her face is red and contorted into something unlike my spunky and loving sister: absolute hatred.

"Jealous? What are you talking about?"

"It's because I actually have a boyfriend, and you don't, huh?" she spits.

"No, it's not!" I retort. "And for your information, there's a guy on my mind right now,"

Anna's face softens, and it's incredible how she goes from enraged to curious in seconds.

"Did you just tell me you like a guy?" she smirks. "Tell me! Who is it?" I blush slightly and hesitant about telling her. She might end up telling him anyway and embarrassing the living daylights out of me.

"Jack," I avert my gaze from hers and smile.

"Frost?" she asks.

I nod and bite my lip. Her face sinks and a hand comes up to grip her chin uncomfortably, as if she's pondering deeply. I feel my insides twist and churn like a barrel full of butter rolling down a steep hill. Is she hiding something from me? And if so, will it really hurt me?

"Uh, yeah, about that…" she begins, her voice soft and worrisome.

"What is it?" I say as bit too frantically. My heart starts to beat even faster.

"Jack… has a girlfriend already." She winces as if my reaction will be immediate and explosive. But I just stand there and stare at her, my face free of any expression. I don't realize that I'm clenching my fists and digging my fingernails in my palms until the pain erupts in stinging nettles. A heavy ache settles in my chest area and it felt as if my heart was shattering into a million shards.

"He's…taken?" My question comes out as a pained murmur full of hurt. Tears swell up in my eyes, but I don't bother to wipe them away. I just allow them to fill up. I barely see Anna nod in disappoint through my blurry vision.

"I'm sorry, Elsa. I know it pains you, but you just gotta face the fact that Jack is already in a relationship. Look on the bright side; you two can still be friends." Anna comes up to me and embraces me. My arms don't wrap around her though. They just stay at my side, stiff and unable to move.

I remain silent, my eyes staring into the ground. I feel her arms uncoil themselves from around me and she steps back.

"I'm going to leave now. I hope you feel better, Elsa." As she opens the door, another person shuffles through. My gaze glances up for a second to see Merida standing there.

"Uh oh," Merida gasps as she sees me. "What happened to her?"

"She's…heartbroken. I think it would be best now to bother her." Anna says and steps out. I hear the door close with a soft click as Merida slowly approaches me. She then changes her direction, as if she just remembered Anna's advice a moment ago, and walks over to her bed. I hear her rummaging through her bags and pulls something out; she rambles toward the bathroom with a small toiletry bag in one hand. As soon as she steps inside and closes the door, I jump onto my bed and bury my face into my pillow.

The last time I cried this hard was when the ending to a good book really crushed me. But this is real. I haven't even got to know Jack that well, and he already broke my heart. It wasn't his fault though. He couldn't help it. Love is love, and he has someone.

Someone who is not me.

Well, I best get over this petty misery; it won't be good for me.

My crying stops and I just lay face-down on my bed, my cheeks tickling with the damp wetness on my pillow. I allow my exhaustion to overwhelm and I eventually fall into a restless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Holy crap, this chapter is really long. Like over 3,000 words long. Sorry, I just had to be a bit more descriptive and find a good place to end. Anyways, sit back and enjoy. Oh, and thank you all who have reviewed, favorited, and/or followed this story. You all are awesome!**

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The next morning, I woke up to the heavy snores of Merida. I slowly sat up and turned my head to glance at the clock: 11:06 am. Wow, I slept in for a bit longer than usual even though I went to bed quite early last night. I swung my legs over the edge of bed, letting out a soft groan as pain prickled my forehead. I have a slight headache, and I don't know why. Maybe it was because of the traumatic time that I was having the night before when Anna revealed to me that Jack had a girlfriend.

I don't know who his girlfriend was, but a pang of hatred within me scorned her. Or was that jealously? I couldn't really tell; they both felt like a burning sensation that started in the bottom of my stomach and would spread to every inch of my body. I stood up from my bed and glanced at Merida sleeping: her limbs were bent in crooked angles, one arm draped over her face and the other tucked underneath her, and her frizzy bush of hair was splayed over her face and the pillows that her head rested on. She reminds me of how Anna sleeps, and I suppressed a low chuckle.

I walked clumsily over to the bathroom and shut the door softly behind me. The room was surprisingly large and allowed me to freely maneuver around, which you wouldn't except from a bathroom in a cramped dormitory. There was a porcelain sink that now had me and Merida's toothbrushes, toothpaste, brushes, and other hygienic products now strewn over the counter top. An oval-shaped mirror was hung above the sink with a gold frame around the outside. The toilet was small but clean and shined with porcelain whiteness. The shower was in the shape of an upright rectangular with a transparent, glass door.

As I stepped onto the marble checkered floor, coldness shot up my bare feet. Most people would quickly jump to a nearby carpet to escape the sudden chill, but it didn't faze me at all. I walked onto the fuzzy azure carpet that covered the space in front of the sink and placed my hands on the top, my eyes fixated on my own reflection. My hair was still in the usual braid that I styled yesterday and I reached up to undo it. As I unraveled the interlaced hair, my long locks fell in pale blonde waves over my shoulders.

I stared at myself: my hair looked disheveled and dull, my blue eyes were now bloodshot and puffy, and I could see the faint streams of dry tears upon my cheeks. I looked like a mess, and why? Oh yeah, because the guy I have feelings for actually already has a girlfriend. I find it ridiculous, really. I just met Jack and I expect us to start dating immediately? I frown into the mirror, my pink lips creasing at either end. I feel like Anna now; I don't want me and Jack's relationship to be like hers and Hans. I want it to be slow and steady. Maybe, sometime in the future, Jack will break up with his current girlfriend and there will be hope after all. But that is just one of my fantasies. It may, or may not, happen, but at least I can have faith.

I step away from the mirror and begin strip off all of my clothes. The shower looks promising, and hopefully the cool water will wash away all the sweat and painful grief that has accumulated. I open the glass door to the shower and place one foot at a time inside. I turn on the water without even testing the temperature of it first. Jet streams of freezing water rain down upon me and I let out a muffled gasp. The cold sends shivers up and down my spine, and goose pumps accompany them by erupting on my skin. I look down at my body in bewilderment. This is a first. I usually don't react this shocked when it comes to the cold. But my mind sinks back to the memory of grasping Jack's hand the night I met him, and feeling the iciness of his skin that soon changed into calming warmth.

I shake my head to get rid of the thought, and water droplets splash against the glass door. I keep the water on cool, not too cold but not too warm either. I allow myself to get completely soaked, including the thickness of my hair, and grabbed one of the shampoo bottles resting on the jutting metal rack. It was L'Oreal shampoo, and also my favorite brand ever. I continue my showering by lathering my hair in wonderfully scented glory and finished up by rubbing a purple bar of soap that smelled like lavender over the rest of my body. I prefer liquid body wash, which I mentally reminded myself to go out and buy later, but this bar soap was better than nothing, I suppose.

My hand finds the handle that controls the water and I twist it off. I opened the door and slightly shivered as cold air collided with my wet physique. There was a white towel hanging off the rack next to the shower and I quickly grabbed it, wrapping it around my chest as I did. My hair still dripped with water and I snatched my blue turban and coiled it around my head. I opened the door of the bathroom and sneaked a peek out. Merida was still asleep, but had turned her position from the last time I saw her. She was now lying away from me, a pillow stuffed in her face. I grinned. She's lucky classes don't start until next week; I would have surely woken her up the same way Anna does.

I quickly moved over to my dresser and dug through the cabinet on the very top. I pulled out a simple pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a teal V-neck long-sleeved shirt. My eyes grazed over one of the knobs on the cabinet and spotted my snowflake pendant necklace hanging freely from it. I carefully plucked it off and set off back to the bathroom. I still wasn't too comfortable getting dressed in the same room as someone else, even though Merida was fast asleep. She could wake up and see me pulling my panties on! I would not want that to happen.

I go back into the bathroom and proceed to pull the outfit on. When I am finished, I take the turban off of my head and brush out the tangled mess in my hair. I typically don't blow-dry my hair because it ends up being curly and practically untamable. And besides, by the time I get the turban off, my hair is already getting to the point of dryness.

My fingers fumbled with my now-straight hair and began to weave it back into my usual braid. It's my favorite hairstyle, and I always have it like that. After I'm done, I brush my teeth and apply a bit of eye shadow, foundation, and magenta-colored lipstick to complete my appearance. I know my face is not a painting canvas, so I don't put on an entire bag-full of makeup on, like most girls do.

I run back out and take a glimpse at the clock. It's about five minutes to noon. No worries, it only takes a minute or two to walk to the Café that Jack was talking about. And I don't think he would mind if I was late. I search through my closet and find a pair of gray Vans that I slip on. Merida is still unbelievably asleep. I roll my eyes and walk over to her bedside, my hand shaking her arm.

"Hey, Merida? Wake up now," I gently slapped her cheek to speed up the waking process. She swats at my hand and one eye splits open. A tired groan escapes her lips.

"Huh? Uh, what is it?" Her voice sounds croaky and deprived of sleep.

"Rise and shine," I grin comically down at her. "Just to let you know, I'm going to meet someone at the Paradise Café right now."

She grunts a response and rolls over so that her back faces me. I take that as an 'okay'. I smirk and pat her exposed back. Before I leave, I grab my phone that lies on my table top and stuff it into my purse. My feet carry me out of the door and I lock it behind me. The hallway is now buzzing with activity. The people that occupy this part of the floor are all girls, while the upper floor is the boys. I start to make my way to the elevators, while passing by Anna and Rapunzel's dorm. I don't bother to stop by and say hello though. It's because I would be late to meet Jack if I do so.

I slip into the opened-door elevator that have two girls tucked in the corner. They both look down at their phones, not bothering to look up as I enter.

"What floor?" I ask them as I hover my hand over the many buttons.

They don't respond, and instead keep their gazes locked on their phone screens. I softly groan in frustration and assume that they're going to the bottom floor, where I'm going as well, and press that button. I descend in silence, my arms crossed and my eyes staring toward the ground. As the doors slide open, I step out and make my way for the exit.

Clarisse is wandering around and she perks up as she sees me, "Good afternoon!" she cheerfully says.

I smile and respond with a, "Good afternoon," right back at her. I push the glass doors open and into the sunshine. The sun shines down in glaring rays that make me squint as I walk down the cobblestone pathway toward the Café. Students of all ages travel either with or against me on the path as I turn a corner where a large oak tree stands. Its leaves have traces of orange and yellow colors in it, signaling that autumn is approaching at a steady rate.

The small, low-leveled building of Paradise Café resides across from Caroline hall, where history classes are held. A sign hangs from a post that says, "Paradise Café" in lighted letters with a little palm tree next to it. In my past years here at the academy, I would occasionally come here to study or enjoy a smoothie. They always made the best smoothies.

I opened the door to the Café, relishing at the ding of the bell, and stepped further inside to inspect everything. The place was surprisingly empty for such a popular gathering spot. Tables and chairs were positioned all over the room, except for the clear path that led to the register. I noticed a few people sitting alone or with another person at a few seats around the Café. What really caught my attention was the table to my very left. I looked over to see three people sitting, being loud and quite rowdy. It really brought diversity to this quiet place with the soft humming of jazz music in the background.

There were two guys and one girl. One guy looked tall and beefy. He had shaggy brown hair that almost looked gray. It was odd really, because this guy was completely different from the other. The second guy was much smaller in both stature and overall weight. He was a bit on the chubby side with golden hair that spiked up in the front. Alas, my eyes skimmed over the only girl in the group: she was dark-skinned with short dark hair that appeared to have strips of pink, blue, and green colors dyed in. As I stood there and stared blankly at the strange trio, the bigger guy called out to me and waved his arm.

"Hey, you! Blonde girl!"

I narrowed my eyes and focused on him. He makes gestures for me to come over. I remained standing still, but reluctantly began to approach them after a few seconds. The three of them looked friendly and welcoming.

"So you must be Elsa, eh?" The beefy guy gave me charming smile.

"Uh, yeah," I brushed a strand of loose hair behind my ear. "Not to be rude, but do I know you?"

"Oh! How silly of us," The girl got up from her chair and offered a hand. "My name's Tia! But you can just call me Tooth." I took her hand and shook it. I noticed she was much shorter than me.

"Tooth? Why are you called that?" I pursed my lips in a straight line.

"It's because of her weird fascination with teeth," The big guy clarified as he took a sip from his drink. It looked like soda, but I could be wrong.

"Yeah. May I see your teeth?" She stared at me with wide brown eyes. I gave her a strange look and titled my head uncomfortably.

"Oh, Tooth," The big guy laughed. "Don't scare the poor girl."

"Oh yes, my apologies. But perhaps later?" She sat back down and began to tamper with a packet of Splenda sugar on the table.

"By the way, I'm Aster, but I go by Bunny." Bunny said, his hand coming up to sweep the hair out of his eyes. "Oh, and this is Sandy." He pointed to the little man sitting across from him. Sandy smiled and waved to me, but said nothing.

"Nice to meet you guys," I say with a thin smile. "Are you friends of Jack?"

"Frost? Why yes," Bunny's lips form a crooked grin. "The three of us here have been friends with him since we were children." Tooth nods in agreement while Sandy gives me a thumbs-up. He doesn't seem like much of a talker, which I'm completely fine with. Talkative people can be highly obnoxious.

"Really? That's awesome," My eyes look around the small Café for Jack, but I have no luck. He is nowhere to be seen. "Hey, do you know where he is?"

"He's running late from hockey practice," Bunny says.

"He plays hockey?" I smile. Even though I never played the actual sport, I love to watch it with my father. I don't necessarily enjoy the occasional violence and gruesome behavior between the players at certain agitating times, but I love how they glide gracefully over the ice with pure ease and precision.

"Yeah, he played at our old high school, but quit for a while after he injured his knee," Bunny explains. "Now that he transferred here, he tried out for the hockey team and got in."

I nod my head. "Oh cool. So you three moved here as well?"

Tooth finally chirped in after her distraction of a sugar packet. "Yeah! But we actually finished high school and came here unlike Jack who moved here in the middle of junior year." I blink. That is just like me. Did he have a hard time in his high school too? Or was it for other reasons? Questions buzzed through my head but I kept silent, my eyes trained on a painting of tropical scenery right above the table.

The ding of the door opening sounds from behind and I turn to see Jack pushing himself inside. There is a black duffle bag slung over his shoulder and he looks exhausted. He wears a long-sleeved royal blue hockey jersey with a gold dragon head printed across his chest, which is the mascot of Fantasy Academy. Black sweat pants hang loosely on his legs with the drawstrings dangling down and simple dark Adidas sneakers cover his feet. I notice the number '27' on the gold stripe across both upper arms of his jersey.

His piercing blue eyes wander around the place, and then finally land on me. I see his lips curve into a smile.

"Hey Jack!" Bunny bellows across the room, causing the other people and even the workers to glance at us. My cheeks flush red with embarrassment and I duck my gaze.

Jack sees Bunny and bobs his head as if to say to 'hey' back. He jogs up to our table and does a funny handshake with both Bunny and Sandy. Tooth gives him a look and he just pats her arm, a sly grin displayed on his face.

He sees me and says, "Hey Elsa,"

"Hi," My voice comes out soft and barely audible.

"Are you two just going to stand there awkwardly or are you going to sit down with us?" Bunny chuckles.

Jack smirks at him and grabs my arm. He leads me over to a small table in front of a large window that overlooks the outside. His duffle bag drops down heavily on the ground next to the table.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

He leans in closer to me so that his words don't drift over to his three friends. A strand of his silvery white hair falls limply over his sweaty forehead, and I'm tempted to reach up and brush it away. But I restrain myself and watch as he does it himself. He smells like sweat and Old Spice deodorant which is an odd combination but it comforts me in a way.

"I want to get to know you better in peace. Bunny, Sandy, and Tooth over there will just get in the way." He smiles and I return it.

"Okay," I say. I hear a string of protests coming from Bunny and Jack rolls his blue eyes. I giggle into my hand.

"I'm going to go order something. Would you like anything?" he asks.

"A strawberry and banana smoothie sounds good. Thank you." I look warmly at him.

"No problem. I'll be right back." He turns around and first goes up to his friends, explaining in clear words why he and I moved over here. They looked disappointed, but it changes to acceptance. Bunny waves his large hand in the air as if to say 'Eh, it's okay!' and goes back to laughing and talking to Tooth, while Sandy sits quietly and listens. I watch as Jack walks over to the register where a young girl wearing an orange and green shirt that reads 'Paradise Café' on her left breast and a baseball cap greets him. As he talks to her and she takes his orders, I direct my eyes through the window. Packs of students walk back and forth on the pavement; some of them drag along suitcases and carry bags. They must have just gotten here and are settling in.

The mixing of the blender disrupts my staring and I look over to see Jack waiting patiently in front of the register, his hands in the pockets of his pants and his foot tapping. As my eyes sweep over his relaxed body, the phone in my purse vibrates. I scoop it out and swipe the unlock bar on the screen.

_Anna – Hey! Where are you?_

My fingers flurry over the keyboard as I respond.

_Elsa – I'm at Paradise Café with Jack. Now don't worry, we're just going to talk and get to know each other better. As friends, that's it._

I frown as I press the send button. I hate to admit that, but it's true. I don't just want to be his friend, I want to be more. But I have to respect the fact that he has a girlfriend. Moments later, Jack comes over to our table and he places a pink smoothie in front of me and a small white cup where he was going to sit. It looks like coffee. I smile kindly and thank him again. He grins and nods his head as if to say 'you're welcome'. As he sits down and reaches for his cup to take a sip, the door swings open with a sudden ding. Jack keeps still, not bothering to turn and look, and puts the cup up to his lips. I peer over his shoulder and see a young girl strut in.

She looks to be about my age with long black hair and a purple headband that is restraining her bangs from spilling over her forehead. She wore a pink shirt, black tights, and knee-high russet boots. Her hand grips the strap to her leathery black purse on her shoulder as she wildly searches the room. I have never seen her around before.

Her eyes, which are a light purple color, catch sight of me and Jack sitting in the corner. A scowl deepens her thin eyebrows and she hurriedly walks over to us, her boots clanking with each step. An uneasy feeling starts from my core and rises to my throat, making me gulp sharply.

"Jack!" she calls to him loudly. Her voice is dripping with fury. I wonder why she is so upset with him. As her shout echoes throughout the place, causing all other conversations to end with a hush, I see the color drain from Jack's face.


	8. Chapter 8

"What the hell are you doing?" The girl speaks through teeth gritted in anger. Her face is deep red with resentment, and I can tell that it's directed toward me even though she glares at Jack. The lavender irises of her eyes now look like dark pits with the glint of bitterness burning within them.

"Now, now, Violet. Calm down." Jack stands up from his seat and places both hands on her shoulders, but she just swats them away with quick reflexes. He retracts his hands, holding them close against his chest, and takes a step back. I see that he's slightly trembling. My body shifts uncomfortably in my chair as I try to squirm away from Violet.

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" Violet hisses, her hands settling on her tiny waist. "Who is this?!" Her eyes strike me and I feel my blood turn ice cold. There's both hostility and pity glistening in her malicious gaze. Her pale lips pull into the faintest snarl. I say nothing, and instead stare back at her in fear, my eyes wide and unmoving.

"This is Elsa," Jack says coolly. He sounds so calm and collected as he looks back at Violet with an expressionless face. The muscle beneath his right eye twitches ever so slightly, a sign of concealed nervousness. His chest heaves up and down as his breathing rapidly increases. "Listen, Violet. Elsa and I have just met. We were just planning on getting to know each other better. You know, as friends."

The word 'friends' makes me wince, but I keep my eyes focused on Violet's shaky form. Neither her or Jack notice my look of disgust; they just keep on staring each other down.

"Oh, really?" Violet says sarcastically, a snicker leaving her mouth afterwards. "How come you didn't answer my texts? I was looking everywhere for you!" Jack closes his eyes and sighs. He looks as if he experiences this constantly with Violet. I glance at the agitated girl and pout. She must be his girlfriend, I just know it.

"My phone was off. Did you know that I just got back hockey practice?" he asks dully.

"What? I didn't know that! Why do you always do things without me knowing? First you go play that stupid sport with your dumb jock friends," Darkness flickers over Jack's face, shadowing his usual bright and playful look. "And now you're hanging out with this…slut." She points to me and I feel the venom of hatred course through my veins. Before I even have the chance to leap up and scratch her eyes out, Jack moves in front of me and blocks me from doing so. It looks like he's protecting me, and a small grin spreads along my lips.

"Don't you ever call her that." He says plainly with a trace of irritation coating his deep voice.

"Are you defending her?" Violet scoffs, her eyes narrowing into a glare. "I can't believe you, Jack Frost! You know what?" She lifts her right hand and on her ring finger is a silver band with a diamond encrusted on the top. "You can take back this piece of crap because we are_ done."_ She forcefully tugs the ring off and throws it at Jack. It hits him on the chest and falls to the floor with a distinct clatter. It doesn't faze him, though. He just stands there, his hands clenched so tightly that they turn white and his eyes glassy.

Violet shoots one last glare at me before turning around and leaving the Café. I look through the window and watch as she hastily trudges around a corner and disappears. It will probably be the last time I saw her, and I'm awfully glad. My eyes dart throughout and all faces in the place are turned toward me and Jack. Even Bunny, Sandy, and Tooth stare worriedly at us. Whispers and murmurs begin to waft around, and eventually turn into normal chattering. I take a glimpse at Jack; he is still standing, his body rigid and gaze burning into the floor.

"Jack…" I murmur, my hand finding his arm. He tenses, but becomes relaxed again. A soft sigh escapes his lips as he bends down to retrieve the forsaken ring. He examines it, the shiny metal passing through his fingers, and stuffs it into the pocket of his sweat pants. He sits back into his seat and grabs his cup. He doesn't drink it though; instead he just stares at the brim of the cover, his head bowed and breathing slow. I don't say anything. Honestly, I don't know what to say. I'm not very good at comforting someone after a breakup. That proves true ever since the time I tried to comfort Anna after she broke up with James, and I failed miserably at that. She then resorted to listening to sad music and stuffing her face with junk food. I guess that works too.

"I'm sorry that you had to see that." He says after a moment of silence. I shake my head and splay my arms on the table. Our hands are merely inches apart.

"It's okay. It's just a part of life." I say and he nods.

"I mean, it's ridiculous, really," he remarks with a forced chuckle. "Violet and I had such a healthy relationship. We've been dating for-what-a year or two? I don't know, but it was long and prosperous. Yes, we have had our ups and downs, but it would always conclude with a kiss or cuddling." He paused and sniffed as if he was on the verge of tears. This broke me on the inside. "But what I'm asking is, how can a long-lasting relationship like ours end so," He snaps his fingers. "-suddenly?"

"I don't know," I say softly. My fingers curl around my smoothie, and the icy coolness prickles my skin. I just now realized that I have not drunk from it since Jack brought it to me. I lower my lips onto the straw and take in a mouthful of delicious fruity goodness. It brings a chill to me, but I love it. Jack removes his arms from atop the table and rolls the over-sized sleeves of his jersey to his elbows. He places them back and I notice that there's a small tattoo on the underside of his right wrist. His arm rolls over and I now have a full view of the dark ink: it's a snowflake, and it's beautifully drawn with perfect ice crystals and patterns displayed on each end of the six-pointed flake. He notices me marveling at his tattoo and he smiles.

"Do you like it?" he asks, his finger pointing to his wrist.

"I love it," I say. "You like the snow the too?"

"I _love _it." He mimics my previous comment and grins. I can't help but laugh back at him. "I don't know why, but the snow was always beautiful to me. Whenever it snowed, I would run out and play around for hours. My mom would have to yell at me to come inside before I caught a cold." He runs a hand through his hair and I slightly blush at how attractive he looks. My hand comes up to my neck to toy around with my snowflake pendant necklace. Jack sees this and smiles.

"Ah, I see you have a snowflake of your own,"

I nodded. "Just like you, I was always amazed by the snow. I'm also very resistant to the cold."

Jack's face lightens up. "Me too! Wow, I guess we already found one thing in common."

I smile and turn my gaze to our hands that lie so close to each other. I'm actually glad that Jack broke up with Violet. For one thing, she acted like a total bitch, and now I may actually have a chance with Jack. I wonder if he likes me back. We will have to see about that. My phone, which now rests on the table, vibrates, almost making me throw my smoothie across the room in shock.

"Oh, excuse me. I think it might be my sister." I unlock the screen and a text message appears; only it's not from Anna.

_Rapunzel – I hope you're having fun with Jack and all, but there's been a little mishap. I need you to come by my dorm, ASAP._

"What did Anna say?" Jack asks as he takes a sip from his coffee.

"Uh, it's actually from Punzie and she said that a mishap has happened. She needs me to get to her dorm immediately." I frown at my phone.

"Okay, then. Would you like me to walk you to the dormitories?" he asks.

I smile. "That would be nice." We both get up from our seats, with Jack picking up his heavy-looking duffle bag, and make way for the exit. Jack waves to Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy while calling out, "I'll see you guys later!" I wave to them as well before stepping out into the warm air.

"What do you think happened?" Jack asks as we get onto the main pathway toward the Crystal dormitory.

"I have no idea," I say. I really hope nothing terrible happened, like Anna hurting herself badly or the dorm catching on fire. I grimace at the thought of it. Jack walks closely to my side, his arm nearly touching my shoulder. He's way taller than me, maybe even close to a foot taller, but I don't mind. I actually have a thing for tall guys. I guess it runs in my blood since Anna does too. The dormitory comes into view as we make a sharp turn; its towering structure makes me strain my neck as I upwards toward the rooftops. People pour in and out of the building. It seems to be a very popular residence for most students.

We walk up to the entrance and Jack holds the door for me like a true gentleman.

"Go on in, my majesty," he smirks and winks at me. I giggle as I sweep past him. Many people have called me queen and majesty because of how regal and poised I am. But Jack made me feel different. He made me feel like I actually was part of royalty.

Jack follows in after me and we both walk to the elevators. As the doors slid open, two guys pushed their way past us, one of them bumping hard into me. I nearly trip back in surprise and let out a soft gasp, but Jack catches me from behind. My back presses into his firm chest and I slightly lean back, enjoying this feeling. His hands gently grip my biceps.

"You okay?" he whispers.

"Yeah," I say and straighten up, my neck cranking around so I face him. His blue orbs sparkle and I smile sheepishly at him. We enter the elevator, but keep a safe distance from the two rough men. They pay no heed to us anyways. Jack stands in the corner and I position myself next to him. I creep closer to him as the man who rudely bumped into me stares, his eyes grazing over me hungrily, almost lustfully. I shiver as discomfort crawls up my spine, but when I feel Jack's hand brush mine, I relax and know I'm in safe hands. The elevator doors open at floor two, where the boys are housed. The two men walk out, and one of them glances at me. He winks and shoots me a flirty grin. I shake my head and close my eyes until the doors slide close. Jack and I are finally alone.

"Was he making you uncomfortable?" Jack asks, referring to the man.

"A bit," I respond and bite my lip.

"It's okay," he places a hand on shoulder and allows me to lean into his taller stature. "I won't let anyone harm you." I smile. He is definitely a keeper.

As we ascend another floor, the doors slide open and I step out with Jack following close behind. There are fewer people wandering the hall than there were around noon when I left. I find it grateful since we can move freely down the hallway without having to squeeze between pairs of inattentive girls. Anna and Rapunzel's dorm comes around; there are two large cards posted on the door. One says 'Anna' in bright green bubble letters and the other says 'Punzie' in pink cursive letters. I smirk; perhaps Merida and I could to the same for our dorm door.

I knock on the door and it opens almost instantly. It was Rapunzel who answered it; she wore fuchsia pajama pants with white polka dots and a black tank top. Her long golden hair was pulled back into a ponytail, showing off her dainty face more clearly. But something was wrong. Her emerald eyes, which would usually have a lively sparkle radiate from within, were now pale and dull.

"Oh, good, you're here," she says in a breathy voice.

"What's going on?" I ask, but she has already turned around, gesturing for us to come in. Jack and I exchange looks. He gives me a doubtful shrug but we enter in anyways. Anna and Rapunzel's dorm looks pretty much the same as mine, only it has a bit more of bright colors displayed everywhere. Their beds sit on opposite sides of the room; one has a pink comforter with a frilly rainbow pillow, Rapunzel's, and the other has layers of green blankets with curvy designs of purple flowers sewn on and a cream pillow, Anna's. Posters of movies, bands, TV shows, and even comics are strewn all over the tan-painted walls.

There is a small portion of empty space located in the center of the room. A wooden chair rests there, and sitting in it is Hans. His face looks painfully swollen and he holds up an ice pack to his cheek. His right eye is puffy and bruised as if someone struck him badly. Anna hovers over him and her eyes are wide with deep worriment. Her small hands clutch his arm. Rapunzel walks over and places a hand on Hans' shoulder, watching in silence as he nurses his injury.

"Oh my God, what happened?" I say in anguish as I step closer. Jack lingers back, his hands in his pockets and lips pursed as if he is suspicious.

"Hans got hurt in a fight," Rapunzel says, her eyes casted toward Hans' severely bruised eye.

"No, he was just trying to protect me!" Anna piped in, her voice shaky with fear.

"What?" I moved closer to her, but didn't touch her or anything. I just overlooked in disbelief as she reached up to grab the ice pack and help Hans with a swollen bump on his neck.

"Hans and I were just enjoying the beautiful day today by walking around campus," Anna says. "And some thug decided to confront us and mess with me, but Hans stepped in and a fight broke out."

"Do you know who the thug was?" I ask.

Anna's shoulders rose up in a shrug and she sniffled. "I don't know…"

"Okay. Can you tell what he looked like?" My gaze flickers between her and Hans, who groans in pain as she accidentally presses down hard on a darkened bruise. She jerks back and mutters an apology.

"Well, he was tall and looked almost like a shadow. His skin was unhealthily pale and his eyes," she winced as if someone had just kicked her in the stomach. "They were the most terrifying things ever… They looked almost like dark pits that would swallow me up,"

"Holy shit," I heard Jack curse behind me and I turned around.

"Jack?" He looked tense and suddenly alarmed.

"Uh, I gotta go now. I'll catch up with you later, Elsa." Before I could shout out a protest for him to stay, he had already bolted out of the room.


	9. Chapter 9

**A few people are remarking that Elsa is acting like a hypocrite, and I realize that. But that's just the way she is in this story. She has had no experience with love or the feelings of it ****whatsoever, so it's quite obvious on why she fell in love so suddenly, because she didn't know it would have such a great affect on her. Does that make sense? If it doesn't, well, just keep on reading.**

**I would like to wish A Battle Inside My Heart a very belated birthday! I hope it was awesome and full of cake :D**

* * *

**Jack's POV**

My feet swiftly carried me out the door of Anna and Rapunzel's dorm. I heard the muffled cry of Elsa calling my name, but it ended abruptly as if she clamped her hand over her mouth. She knew I wasn't going to be coming back around. I tugged my duffle bag higher on my shoulder. The muscles in my arm strained and burned in pain, but I kept pushing forward until I reached the elevators. I curled my hand in a fist and hit the button with an arrow pointing down. There was nobody waiting for the elevator around me or walking down the hall, so I could heave a loud sigh.

Pitch has officially gone too far. I knew he was a bad person before but simply beating someone up for no particular reason? That is just ridiculous. But why did he go after Anna? From what I heard during Anna and Elsa's conversation, Anna was the one that Pitch decided to pick on first. Then Hans cut in and that's why he has a swollen face and a black eye. My fear right now is the safety of Elsa. What if Pitch goes after her next? She doesn't have a boyfriend to protect her and she looks like the type of girl who goes out alone most of the time.

My eyes flicker back down the hallway where Anna and Rapunzel's dorm is. I'm tempted to redirect my footing and go back so that I could be with Elsa. Before I can think twice about doing it, the elevator doors open and I am forced to step inside. As I reached over to press the button labeled two, a man's voice rings through the uneasy silence.

"Hey! Hold the doors!"

I paused for a moment, but reluctantly held down the button that restrained the doors from closing. A man hastily jumped into the elevator; he mumbled a thank you and I just nodded, my lips pressed into a thin line. I glanced over at him and my eyes widened. He was the man that Elsa and I shared the elevator on the way up here. He was also the one who made Elsa feel uncomfortable and induced me to nearly punching him in the face. I averted my gaze to the ground and my hand tightened around my duffle bag's strap. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him turn his head and peer at me. A shiver surged through me as his stare penetrated me; I gritted my teeth and prayed that the descending would go by quicker.

"So…do you know that girl who was with you?" His question split through the quiet air like a whip. I gulped and was hesitant about responding, but I did anyway.

"Yeah," I say in a raspy voice.

"Are you two related, or dating?" he pries. I blush as he mentions 'dating'. I'm still heartbroken about how Violet dumped me, but perhaps Elsa could mend my shattered heart. Should I ask her out? I don't know. Asking girls out, especially really pretty ones, has always been nerve-racking for me. I will think of something eventually. But for now, my main focus is on getting answers to why Pitch has been acting out of control.

"Uh, no, we're just friends," I reply, my head bowed and eyes closed.

"I hope you don't mind, but I really want to ask her out," he says. My eyes snap open and I stare at him, almost glowering.

"You don't even know her," The words pass through my lips like a whisper being carried along a gentle breeze, barely audible. But the man heard me clearly.

"I don't care. I just want to bang her," he says with a smirk. My duffle bag drops to the floor with a loud plop and I clench my fists in anger. I see the man take a cautious step to the side away from me. Without even thinking, I turn and spring toward him; my hands come up to violently push him against the wall. My arm presses into his throat and I glare at him.

"I swear if I see you come even a foot from Elsa, it will be the biggest mistake of your life."

The man now trembles, his eyes bulging out of his head with such fear. The elevator doors slide open at the second floor. A pack of young men wait for the lift, but they stop in their tracks as they watch me press my arm harder against the man's throat. He lets out a gurgled cry and I'm indecisive about letting go, but I do. Besides, I don't want to end up getting in trouble and possibly expelled for my violent actions.

I remove my arm and the man gasps out in relief, his hand rising to clutch at his slightly red throat. I gather my discarded bag from the floor and push my way out of the elevator. I keep my head down, ignoring the piercing stares of all the bystanders who had witnessed everything. Whispers and mutters rise up from the crowd behind me as I move quickly down the hallway, toward my dorm.

My dorm is at the very end of the hall, right next to a flight of stairs. I find it useful since it is only footsteps away and I can get down it quickly, in case I was running late. But I much rather prefer elevators. I open the unlocked door and walk in to see my two roommates sitting on the couch, engaged in a stressful game of Call of Duty: Ghosts on my Xbox One. Yes, _my _Xbox One that I willingly brought from home to play on during the school year. But these two always hog it up, barely giving me time to play it myself.

One of them was Hiccup. He is my friend, a member of Fantasy Academy's chess club, and an overall nerdy introvert. Hiccup is very shy, and rarely socializes with his fellow peers. The only time he steps out of his shell and is quite talkative is when he's around friends. My other roommate is Kristoff. He is a hulking blond-haired football jock who just transferred here from a small town in Maine. I don't know how or why he came from a poor village in the rural parts of Northern Maine to New York City, but I didn't complain too much. Kristoff may look like an obscene recluse who doesn't get along with people too well, but he is actually very nice and genuine.

I move over to bed that sits in the corner of my room and throw my duffle bag onto it. My bed was separated from the other two, which sat opposite from each other, but at least I had a bit more privacy. Hiccup glanced up from the television screen, which I found incredible since he usual ignores anyone that comes in while he plays video games. Hell, the dorm could be getting ransacked by a brainless robber and Hiccup wouldn't even notice a thing when he's gaming.

"Hey Jack!" he calls out, but his gaze flickers back to the game. I walk up to the side of the television, where my stare flashes from my wide-eyed, focused roommates to the action occurring onscreen. I watch in amusement as whoever is playing in the upper screen, who I assume is Hiccup, shoots rounds of his automatic rifle at an upcoming enemy. Hiccup yells in victory as Kristoff nearly throws his controller down, a frustrated groan spilling out of his mouth. I grin but say nothing.

Kristoff stands up from the couch, stretching his stiff legs that were induced by countless hours of playing, and flings the controller on the coffee table in front of him.

"Aw, where you going, buddy?" Hiccup says in a childish voice, a snarky smirk spreading upon his lips. "Are you giving up so soon on the game?" Kristoff wrinkles his nose at the words 'so soon', knowing that Hiccup was just being sarcastic.

"No, I'm just taking a break," Kristoff says. "I'm going down to meet up with Sven down in the lobby. See you guys later." He moves up to me, pats me on the back, and walks out of the room. The door closes with a soft click behind him. Hiccup fiddles with an analog stick on the controller, and then his gaze shifts up to me.

"Hey, do you wanna play a round of Deathmatch with me?"

I'm hesitant for a moment; my eyes switch from the TV screen to the persuasive look displayed on Hiccup's face, his eyebrow arched. I eventually nod and walk over to the crouch, scooping up the abandoned controller and plopping myself next to Hiccup. As we game away, me feeling immediately content as I get first-blood after swiftly killing Hiccup, who groans in disappointment, all thoughts of heartbreak and Pitch fade from my mind.


	10. Chapter 10

**Elsa's POV**

The next day was Friday, and oddly enough it felt like a typical Sunday afternoon. I walked up to peer out of the window, toothbrush in mouth, and watched a blanket of dull, gray clouds slowly creep their way along the morning sky. The sun appeared as a dim halo as tendrils of the gloomy veil engulfed the glowing ball of light in a shroud of darkness.

Merida was still asleep in bed, her snores now unbearably loud and rather troublesome. For the past few days, I have been constantly sleeping with a pillow over my head to try and block the snores out. The pillow technique proved to be a bit helpful, but I will have to get use to her snores sooner or later. I step back from the window and went back to the bathroom to finish up brushing my teeth. I ran back to my wardrobe and rummaged around for a semi-decent outfit to wear. I doubt I was going out today; I'm probably just hanging out in my dorm and engrossing myself into a good book. Which reminds me; I still need to finish up Divergent...

I pick out a pair of black Hollister sweatpants and a white t-shirt that depicts a cat wearing sunglasses and a red bowtie. A speech balloon appears over its head saying, 'Meow you doin'?' I find it both hilarious and stupidly cheesy at the same time. I slip the clothes on and stand in front of the mirror to style my hair into a messy ponytail. As I slide the last bit of hair into the loop, letting the rest hang loosely around the edges, I spot something out of the corner of my eye. I look over and see my purse lying on top of my limp suitcase. The only thing that is different about it is that there's a piece of blue paper poking out the opened zipper of my purse.

I bend down and snatch the paper out of its confinements. I read over it and nearly drop it in shock; it's the flyer for the swim team! I completely forgot about it over all of the frustration and drama that has taken over my life the day I arrived here. I looked at the date; it's today, and the time is at seven tonight. I pursed my lips and thought for a moment. I don't believe I had anything planned for tonight, so I guess I'm free to go.

As I set the flyer on the top of the dresser, a quick knock fluttered on the door.

"It's open!" I yelled out, far too lazy to walk on over and open it myself. My sudden outburst caused Merida to roll over and mutter unknowingly in her sleep. The door flung open and Rapunzel paraded in with Flynn at her side, their hands interlocked.

"Good morning!" she says cheerfully. I smiled and nodded my head. It was a relief to see Rapunzel back to her usual self than how she was acting yesterday. I have never seen her so serious and quiet in all my years of knowing her.

"You guys are up early," I remarked as I searched through the small refrigerator that sat in the corner of the room. Merida brought it from her home and we now store all kinds of foods and beverages within it. Breakfast at the cafeteria was expensive and it was ridiculous at how they stopped serving at exactly ten. I grabbed a gallon of milk and brought it back to the small table perched next to the refrigerator. The tableware was stored in the cabinet right next to my dresser since we couldn't find anywhere else to put them. I seized a white ceramic bowl and set it on the table next to a box of Froot Loops.

"Yeah, I thought we'd get up so we can have time for shopping!" Rapunzel squealed excitedly. Flynn, on the other hand, rolled his eyes.

"Shopping?" I looked up in the midst of pouring my cereal into the bowl.

"Yep! I want to get some new clothes before classes start up. And I forced Flynn to come along with me," she grinned at him and he gave a weak smile. "Do you want to come, Elsa?"

I shook my head as I settled down to eat my small breakfast. "No thanks. I have to prepare myself for the swimming tryouts tonight."

"Ooh! You're trying out for the swim team?" Rapunzel asks, and I nod as I stuff a spoonful of Froot Loops into my mouth.

"That's great," Flynn flashes a grin at me as he cuts into the conversation. "I heard the swim team is awesome here, but they practice hard and daily. But I'm sure you're fit enough to deal with all of that."

I mumble a thanks, or at least that's what I think it is.

"We better be heading out now," Rapunzel says as she checks her phone. Flynn nods and as she takes his hand and moves to the doorway, she looks back at me, "If you need us, we'll be wandering around Times Square,"

"Well, that's if you can find us," Flynn comments with a smirk. I give them a thumbs-up since I'm still speechless from the amount of cereal in my mouth. It gets to point where milk dribbles down my chin and I have to forage around for a napkin to clean up the pooled mess on the tabletop. As Rapunzel and Flynn leave the room, Rapunzel's giggling being heard even when the door is closed, I put my bowl away along with the cereal box and milk. Merida finally shifts around in bed and slowly sits up, her hair a bushy flaming halo around her head.

"Morning," I say with a warm smile. Merida doesn't look so cheerful, though. She grunts something unintelligent and heaves herself off of the bed. Her hands come up to push the hair out of her face; her blue eyes are dull and weary.

I frown. "What time did you go to bed last night?"

She shrugs. "I dunno. I lost track after three in the morning,"

"You're going to have a difficult time when classes begin," I say, a delicate smile growing on the corners of my mouth. She groans but does not respond with any words. Her feet shuffle over the carpet toward the bathroom, and when she gets there, she slams the door behind her. I throw a comical snort in that direction and walk over to the side of my bed. I collapse upon my favorite fuzzy snowflake blanket and pick up my copy of Divergent that lies on the small table to my right. I guess a good way to pass time is to delve deeply into a book. And that's what I do.

* * *

I splay myself over the soft cushions of the couch down in the lobby. Anna sits on the couch adjacent from me; Hans is next to her and I've been watching them cuddle and make lovey-dovey faces at each other for the pass hour now. She interrupted me while I was reading up in my dorm and asked if I wanted to hang out with her and Hans in the lobby. I was reluctant at first, but I accepted her invitation anyway. Is this what she wanted to do? Torture me by making out with Hans and nestling up close to him? I crossed my arms and glared at them in disgust as they exchanged another kiss. This has to be like the –oh, I don't know – twentieth kiss that they've shared since coming down here. My calculations and observations could be wrong; it might possibly be more than that.

I wasn't frustrated about their relationship though. I may not trust Hans, but if Anna is happy then I'm happy. Hans still looks pretty beaten up, but he seems to be better. If he can kiss Anna for over an hour without any complaints of pain, then he's okay for sure. His right eye is still blackened and there's a Band-Aid covering his cheek, but other than that, he looks good.

The wide-screened television hangs on the wall behind of Anna and Hans. It's right above a fireplace, which is currently not being used. My eyes wander up to the TV and I watch a broadcaster report a segment about the government raising taxes. I huffed and shifted my gaze back to Anna and Hans. Anna now has her face buried in the crook of his neck, giggling hysterically, while he whispers in her ear. He nibbles at her earlobe and she squeals. I feel like I may actually vomit if I have to watch anymore of this.

I stand up from the couch, suddenly. Anna looks up at me but Hans is still nuzzling in her neck. She smiles and pushes him away gently, murmuring something to him.

"Where are you going, Elsa?" she asks.

"I – uh – just need to get some fresh air," I jab my thumb towards the exit, trying my best to put on a believable smile.

"Okay! Have fun!" Anna chirps and goes back to making out with Hans. I turn on my heels and as I push open the doors to leave, a relieved sigh passes through my lips.

The outside air is warm but there's a gentle breeze that passes through my hair. It feels relaxing against my sweaty scalp. Being cooped up in my dorm, plus the crowded lobby, has made matters worse regarding to the uncomfortable heat. I walk down the stairs that lead up to the dormitory, my hands sinking into the pockets of my sweatpants. I realized that I didn't have my phone or iPod on me, so I guess I will just enjoy the scenic view of the campus and amble around aimlessly.

"Elsa!" I hear a deep masculine voice call for me as I turn to walk down the cobblestone pathway. I twist around, my eyebrows raised, and see Jack jogging up to me. Every part of me screams out in happiness as I see the white-haired young man appear at my side. He wears gray sweatpants, black Vans, and a blue X-Men t-shirt.

"Meow you doin'?" he grins at me as he checks out my shirt. I laugh a bit louder than I intended it on being, and a couple of girls give me a strange look as they pass by. I cover my mouth with a hand to suppress my giggling, but I smile up at Jack through the skin.

"I'm doing pretty well," I say as I remove my hand.

"That's good," Jack muses at me. One hand is in his pocket and the other dangles at his side. His fingers brush mine for a split second and I jerk my hand away unexpectedly. A surge of electricity races from my fingers up my arm. I looked down at my hand, my eyes widening. Did that feeling happen all because of a simple touch? I drop my hand and dig it into my sweatpants pocket, ignoring the warmth that still lingers within the skin of my arm.

"Are you busy tonight?" he asks as we round the corner of Thomas Hall, the building where literature classes take place. I'm silent for a moment; should I lie that I am and ditch swimming tryouts to be with him? Or just tell the truth? I bite my lip as opposing forces wage battle inside me.

"Uh – yeah – I actually am," I see his face sink slightly, but he gives me a small smile.

"Oh okay, that's alright. If you don't mind me asking, but what are you doing?" he asks.

"No, it's okay. I'm going to try out for the swim team here," I remark as I push a loose piece of hair out of my face.

"That's awesome!" Jack beams at me. "I didn't know you're a swimmer,"

"To be honest, I'm really not. I just needed to do something physical so that I don't get fat," I suppress a chuckle.

"You're not fat. Not even close." Jack blurts out and he presses a hand across his mouth, as if he didn't mean to say that. I blush and avoid his gaze so that he doesn't see the growing crimson in my cheeks.

"Uh, well, I hope you get on the team," he says. "I have to get going now, but it was great seeing you!"

"Yeah, I love seeing you too…" I murmur, and he gives me a look.

_Shit, he heard that._

He nervously rakes a hand through his tousled hair and shoots me a lopsided grin. "Well, I'll be going now. Catch up with you later!" He waves to me and I wave back. I watch as he turns around and jogs away. As he disappears around a building, I exhale deeply.

_Dammit, Elsa. You are a mess._

* * *

Seven o'clock was approaching rapidly and I found myself back in my dorm room, debating on what exactly I should bring to the tryouts. Of course I need a swim suit, but I didn't bring one. I had no idea that I was even going to step in a pool! I searched through my suitcase and pulled out a blue tote bag with _Busch Gardens _printed across the front and a picture of a roller-coaster. I bought this while my family went to the amusement park two years ago.

_Well, at least I brought a towel and flip-flops._

I picked out a black and white pinstriped towel and a pair of teal flip-flops. I placed them into the tote bag and stood up, thinking about what I should bring next.

"What are you up to, lass?" Merida steps out of the bathroom, her smartphone in one hand and a _People _magazine in the other.

"Oh hey, Merida," I say. "I'm getting ready for swim tryouts in an hour."

"Ah, you're trying out for the swim team?" She raises an eyebrow. "Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks. Ahh!" I let out a frustrated groan and closed my eyes. "I didn't bring a swim suit or goggles. How do they expect me to swim functionally?"

"I bet they might have a spare for you to borrow," Merida says. I cringe at the thought. Wearing a suit that someone else probably has already worn? I'm unsure about that. But I nod in defeat. As I scoop up the tote bag and prepare myself to leave, a knock erupts at the door.

"Come in!" I call out and Anna prances in with Hans close behind her. I sigh softly and roll my eyes as I spot Hans.

_They better not be here to make out the entire time._

"Hey, Elsa!" Anna exclaims. "Ooh, where are you going?"

"I'm trying out for the swim team." I deadpanned and Anna jumps us excitedly, knocking Hans back a step with her sudden movement. I mentally laugh at him.

"That's exciting!" she says. "I'm proud of you. You're actually doing a sport, huh?" She moves up to me and cuffs my arm playfully. I stick my tongue out at her.

"Oh? Says the girl who hasn't done a sport in her life either." I muse at her with a humorous grin.

Anna opens her mouth to protest, but closes it as blush spreads along her cheeks. "Ah, you got me. But hey, I'm planning on trying out to be a cheerleader."

I stare at her and drop my face into a hand. "Cheerleader? Oh God…"

"I think you would look sexy in the cheerleader uniform," Hans purrs as he kisses Anna's neck. She giggles uncontrollably. I shoot him a glare and he stops, the look of fear advancing on his face. He grins nervously at me and I just turn my gaze away, a disgusted sneer spilling over my lips.

"Well, I should be going now," I say and sling the tote bag over my shoulder. "I don't want Ariel scolding me for being late."

"Okay! Come on, Hans, let's go watch ourselves a movie," she grabs his hand and they flee out of the room.

"Merida?" I look at the Scottish woman who sits on her bed, texting someone from her phone. She glances up, eyebrows raised. "Make sure to keep an eye on Anna and Hans. I don't want them doing things they shouldn't be doing."

"Aye, aye, captain!" She gives me a small salute and I smile. I step out of the room and gently close the door behind me. My feet carry me to the elevator, out of the dormitory, and onto the pathway toward the Watterson building, where the pool is located.

_You better not screw up this time._


	11. Chapter 11

The Watterson building was a massive piece of construction with a dome-shaped top. I wouldn't be skeptical on why it was so huge. It housed the pool, for one thing, and that was ought to be quite immense itself. I gulped nervously. What if I'm forced to swim all of the meters of the pool? I don't think I will be able to do that. It's been a while since I have exercised or did any kind of physical labor. I heaved a sigh and walked up to the entrance. The doors were automatic and slid open to my presence.

I stepped into an air-conditioned room with a connecting hallway that leads deeper into the building. There was a middle-aged woman with glasses sitting behind an oval front desk. As I made myself noticeable, the woman looked up from the computer that she was typing at.

"Hello, miss. Are you here for the swim tryouts?" she asks with an impassive voice.

"Yes, ma'am." I say and walk up to the desk, placing a hand on the cool and smooth surface.

"Okay. The pool is down the hallway," she points with a pen toward the long stretch of marble tiles and aqua-painted walls. "And when you pass through the double-doors, go to the right, where the women's locker room is, and the entrance to the pool should be in there."

"Thank you." I say politely to the woman and trudge down the hallway. My knees were wobbly and my legs felt like jelly. I was anxious, of course, but I tried to overcome my odd nervousness. I have never tried out for anything before – well – I have for clubs and classes, but those are different than the swim team. Swimming requires physical endurance and effort, which I'm not sure I can provide. I push the double-doors open and there are two intersections from where I stand: the Men's locker room and Women's. I turn on the balls of my feet to the right and vanish into the Women's locker room.

The locker room was roomy and very luxurious. Shining black and white tiles cover the floor and the walls were painted a plain cream color. There are gleaming lockers the color of the deep ocean lining every part of the walls. They are stacked on top of each other and split in half. I walk further through the room and there is another smaller room connected. I peer inside and there were bathroom stalls, showers, and a row of porcelain sinks. The curtains lining the showers are teal and have pictures of sea-life decorating them.

A wooden door stands in my way and I place a hand on it, not putting any force just yet.

_Well, I guess this is it. Let's do this._

I push the door open and I am suddenly greeted with dense, humidity-reeking air. It embraces my face with its uncomfortably warm tendrils and it feels as if I just landed in an Amazon jungle. My eyes look around the place and I'm astonished at the arrangement of everything. The pool takes up most of the space in the wide room, obviously, and it's the most magnificent thing that I have ever seen. It is in the shape of a rectangle with plastic lane dividers that split it into about eight long strips. The bottom of the pool is made up of sandy concrete and bands of black tile. There are blocks sitting at each lane on one side of the pool, and I'm puzzled at what they are for.

Thankfully, I'm not too late, and there is no one in the water yet. A large crowd of swimwear-cladded people stand behind the blocks; it's a mixture of boys and girls, but I spot mostly girls. A young woman stands before them, speaking in a loud voice that echoes throughout the place. She wears a white t-shirt, black shorts, and flip-flops. Her long red hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and I recognized her immediately as Ariel. I walked over and blended into the crowd, ducking my gaze in embarrassment as a few straggling gazes stared at me.

"Okay, everyone!" Ariel clapped her hands together. "I would like to thank each and every single one of you for coming. I assure you, tryouts will be easy and painless. I just want to get an overview of your capability to swim more than a lap. Now, I would like to ask the more experienced swimmers to stand in line behind lane five," she points to a lane and a portion of the group divides and files into a long line. I am impressed at how many people already know the skills of swimming.

"And the rookies," her gaze flickers to the rest of us. "You will go in lane four." The rest walk off to stand in line, leaving me alone.

"Ah, Elsa!" Ariel moves over to me, a gleaming smile set upon her face. "I'm glad you made it."

"Yeah, I'm glad too," I rubbed the back of my neck, which is beginning to bead with sweat.

"Do you have a swimsuit?" Ariel asks, her eyes skimming over me.

"Well, about that… That's what I came to you for. I actually don't," I say.

"That's okay! C'mere, I believe I have an extra one for you to wear." She walks over to a bench resting against the wall and rummages through a black and white bag. There's a picture of a yellow fish and a crab stitched onto the flap of the bag.

"Here you go!" She pulls out a black one-piece swimsuit and a pair of fluorescent goggles. I take them from her and murmur a thank you. "Now, you just quickly get dressed and meet back here."

I nod and race to the locker rooms, my hand clutching the handle to my tote bag. Cool air collides with my face as I re-enter the locker rooms, and I sigh in relief. The back of my neck is now slick with sweat and I try to ignore the sticky feeling. I set my bag on a long, wooden bench and begin to strip my clothing, and then eventually slip off my undergarments. There was currently nobody in the room, giving me enough privacy to quickly change.

I slide the swimsuit through my legs and pull it over my hips. In the middle of drawing the swimwear over my stomach, the door swings open and I turn away from whoever is entering, trying frantically to hide my exposed chest. I yank the rest of the suit on and adjust the straps that sling vertically down my shoulders. The swimsuit is a bit loose, but I guess it will do.

"Elsa?" I perk up at the high-pitched shrill of a young woman calling my name. I shift around and I recognize the dark-skinned, rainbow-colored hair girl that I met a few days ago.

"Tooth?" I say and come closer. It definitely was her. She wore bright red sweatpants, a gray hoodie, and black Keds. Her short, black hair was combed back and looked as colorful as ever with the pink, blue, and green strips standing out radiantly.

"Oh my God, it really is you!" She bounces up to me, a bright smile positioned on her face. "And hey, you look good in a swimsuit."

I blush slightly and look down at my body. My arms come to wrap around my torso as the insecurity sets in. I've always been unsure about how my body looks no matter how many times Anna and my parents tell me otherwise.

"Thanks," I murmur and turn around to grab the gleaming goggles that rest next to my tote bag.

"Well, I'm going to get dressed. See you out at the pool!" She waves to me and races to the bathroom stalls. I smile as she disappears around the corner and start making my way out to the pool. I push the door open and I am once again reacquainted with the warm air. Swimmers, both experienced and novice, have already jumped into the water. I watch in wonder as a girl propels herself through the water with much ease and precision. The water cascades over her head as she breaks the surface to breathe.

I walk over to lane four, as Ariel has instructed me to do so. My gaze wanders around and I spot the red-haired team captain observing a swimmer from afar. I step in front of the block and strap the goggles around my head. My vision turns a light gold as the colored-goggles slip over my eyes. I see Ariel making her way toward me and I stay in place, my foot resting on the protruding step of the block.

"Does the suit fit well?" she asks, her hands settling on her hips.

"Yeah," I nod and fix the straps on my shoulders as they twist out of place.

"Okay, good!" She beams at me. "What I want you to do is to just do a few laps of freestyle. Are you familiar with that stroke?"

"Yeah, it's the crawl one, right?" I say and demonstrate with my arms in midair.

"Yes! That's it. Now, if you do that successfully, I will tell what to do afterwards," she says. As I tightened the goggles and prepared myself to dive in, I feel Ariel's soft hand on my arm. "Wait, Elsa. I think you should wear this," she pulls something out from the back of her shorts pocket and hands it to me. It's a dark latex cap with _FAST_ imprinted in white bold letters across it. There is a yellow lightning bolt splitting behind the acronym. "You just slip this over your hair. It should make you go faster."

I smile and thank her as I take the cap. It feels smooth and rubbery under my fingertips and has that odd smell of latex wafting from it. I pull my goggles off and quickly style my hair into a tight bun so that any strands of hair don't get in the way. I forcefully tug the cap over my head and softly groan at how tight it is. How do swimmers wear these things without getting a massive headache? I draw my goggles back on and stand on the gutter of the pool. The water violently shifted in waves as a swimmer in the other lane did a flip underwater and pushed back out.

_What? I have to do a flip underwater? Oh God, help me…_

I hesitantly stared at the transparent water that had a bluish sparkle to it. My eyes stretched out and I saw a novice swimmer gliding my way. Their arms clumsily splashed the water in huge currents. As they reached the gutter that I stood on, their hands gripped the edge and they rested their head upon it. Heavy breaths assaulted their body as they floated there in a slump position. I took a deep breath and dived into the water as best as I could. The water rushed over my skin in cold surges; the sudden chill brought shivers down my spine, but at the same time it was exhilarating. I began propelling my arms forward, taking a breath at each third stroke I did.

_One, two, three, breath, one, two, three, breath…_ I chanted the mantra in my head as I swam at a steady pace down the lane. I looked up for a brief second; I was already halfway across. The end of the lane was approaching and I had a panic attack inside of my mind. Do I flip or just grab the wall and push off? I knew Ariel was watching and I wanted to make the best impression on her. The concrete wall was nearly inches from me and I quickly swung my head down with my knees tucked closely to my chest. I correctly did a flip, but my nose stung with chlorinated water as I forgot to blow out the entire time.

The chlorine felt like tiny needles pricking the inside of my nasal passage, but I kept on going and ignored the watering of my eyes. I blinked the blurriness away and continued driving my arms onward. The water swept aside with each stroke and bubbles accumulated around my feet as I kicked constantly. I felt free, as if I was one with the water. I never imagined swimming would feel so calming and thrilling at the same time. I reach the other end and do another flip, projecting myself further out into the pool. The second lap went by much quicker than the first and I arrived back at where I started with much content.

I emerge from underwater and slide my goggles up onto my forehead. Ariel is looming above me, her pink lips fixated into a smile.

"Wow! That was incredible, Elsa!" She reaches down to give me a high five and I smack my wet hand onto hers. "You're a natural,"

I'm breathless from the exercise and I just shoot her a grin. A few other swimmers complete their laps and tread water next to me. One of them, a young girl about my age, yanks off her goggles and hangs them around her neck. Her eyes dart around and they spot something off in the distance. She cuffs the arm of another girl next to her.

"Hey, look at _him,_"

Being the eavesdropping and nosy person I am, I discreetly turn my head and look at who they spotted from afar. My eyes widen as I recognize who it is.

"Jack?" I murmur as I stare at him. He's sitting on a bench that is propped against the wall, his legs spread apart and elbows resting on his knees. He straightens up in posture as he catches sight of me gazing at him. He waves, a wide smile plastered on his face. I nervously bring my hand out of the water and returned his friendly gesture. Part of me wonders why he is here, but the other half screams in delight. He actually came to watch me tryout? How sweet of him.

"You know him?" The girl now stares at me, her dark blue eyes watery and reflective.

"Yeah," I utter the word in a soft voice. I'm so distracted by Jack's presence that I could barely speak normally.

"Is he your boyfriend?" The other girl asks. I tear my eyes from Jack and focus on her. My hand grips the gutter of the pool tightly.

"Uh, no, we're just friends," I unwillingly admit.

"Oh okay. You're lucky you at least know him. I'm so bad at even approaching cute boys," she says.

"I know right?! Isn't he a hottie?" The other girl fans herself as if she might faint and redirects her gaze to Jack.

I smile and look at Jack, who is now running a hand through his perfectly ruffled hair. I practically hear the two girls swoon, and I do too. I guess I do consider myself lucky.


	12. Chapter 12

**A bit of a longer chapter than I intended, but all of you are going to love what happens ;) Just read and find out!**

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**Jack's POV**

I watched as Elsa heaved herself out of the pool, streams of glistening water cascading down her perfect body. About an hour passed since tryouts began, and now they were over with. Ariel, the team captain, announced for everyone to come see her individually so that she could tell if got onto the team or not. I was secretly hoping that Elsa got on; she is amazing in the water! I almost envy her concealed talent, but then again, I'm no swimmer myself. Even if I was, I couldn't be on both the hockey team and the swim team. That's just too much work.

I stood up from the bench and slowly started to make my way to Elsa, my hands deep in the pockets of my sweatpants. My eyes flickered to the water and I inspected a series of ripples created by the sudden movements of swimmers still lingering in the pool. I looked back up to see Elsa speaking with someone – it was Tooth. I had no idea she could swim; I didn't even expect her to like the water at all. As I advanced closer, Elsa looked up and her blue eyes sparkled with joy at the sight of me. I grinned as she walked toward me.

"Jack?" I saw the trace of a smile form on her lips, which grew bigger, teeth gleaming and all.

"Surprise," I say, smirking. Without even thinking, I outstretched my arms for a hug. Elsa beamed and raced up to me, nearly knocking me down as she wrapped her arms around my midsection. This was the very first embrace that we have shared, and I didn't want it to end. It just felt too good – and it was far different than anything I experienced with Violet. Elsa was still dripping with water and got my shirt soaked as she laid her head on my chest. I loved how much shorter she was than me; it was absolutely adorable.

"Oops! I'm so sorry," She pulled back and pressed a hand against my damp shirt, right above my heart. My breath hitched in my throat and beads of sweat began to accumulate on my brow, and it wasn't because of the humid air.

"Oh, it's okay. I don't mind." I waved it off and jammed my hands back into my pockets. I was trembling – from both excitement and nervousness, I think. Elsa giggled and clasped her hands behind her back. My eyes skimmed up and down her body. I admired her luscious figure, slender torso, full hips…

"Jack!" I snapped out of my trance and stared at Tooth casually walking our way. She had a pink towel wrapped around her waist and she wiggled a finger at me. "It's not polite to stare,"

Elsa and I both reddened and averted our gazes from each other. Why does Tooth have to make every situation of mine awkward? She moved next to Elsa and laughed.

"Wow, you two are seriously made for each other," she commented with a crooked grin.

"Okay, you have to leave," I placed both hands on her shoulders, turned her around, and gently shoved her away. She was chuckling hysterically the entire time.

"Okay, okay! You love birds have fun now," She winked and strutted off towards the group conjugating around Ariel. I shot a nervous grin at Elsa, but her head was turned, looking at the crowd that Tooth was moving up to.

"Oh, I better go see if I got on the team or not," She shifted around to look at me. "And I need to take a shower. This chlorine is nasty." Her hand came up to untie the tight bun in her hair and I watched in amazement as her wet, platinum blonde locks fell in soft waves down her shoulders and back. I nearly fainted at her glorious beauty. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temple in attempt to dim out the dizziness I was feeling.

"Uh, yeah!" I gave her a smile as I reopened my eyes. "Sounds good."

"Okay, see you later!" As she turned around to join up with the group, I spoke up once again.

"Elsa, wait!" She stopped and cranked her neck to stare at me, waiting to listen on what I had to say. I steadily approached her until we were merely a foot away, her looking up and me gazing down into her shiny blue orbs. I rubbed the back of my neck uneasily and bit my lip to keep it from shaking.

"Would you – uh – meet me outside of the building when you're done? I need to ask you something." I say and give her a coy smile. She eyes me hesitantly and then nods, a delicate smile shaping her thin lips that were once straight with shyness.

"Sure! I might take a while, if you don't mind," she says and passes a hand through her slick hair.

I shrug and shoot her a reassuring grin. "It's okay. I can wait." She smiles and waves before walking off to talk to Ariel. I watch as she eventually gets sucked into the group and I can no longer spot her bobbing blonde head within it. I turn on my heels and begin making my way out of the pool area, away from the assembly of swimmers on the opposite side.

* * *

It was quiet outside and there weren't many people stirring at this time. I glanced at my watch: 9:04 pm. I have been waiting for Elsa for close to an hour, but as I told her, I didn't mind. I have waited longer for rides at amusement parks and even a Linkin Park concert once a few years ago. I leaned against a stone pillar that supported the Watterson building. Many swimmers have been pouring out of doors leading inside for the pass hour in a half. Most of them paid no attention to me, but a few girls have regarded my presence and giggled or shot flirty looks at me. One girl even held her hand up to her ear in a phone shape and mouthed 'call me'.

I just rolled my eyes and ignored her. There was another girl on my mind and I wanted to keep true to that. The doors slid open and I perked up from my slouched position as Elsa stepped out. She wore casual and comfortable-looking garb such as black sweatpants, gray sneakers, and a light blue hoodie that framed her body adequately. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. She excitedly bounces up to me with a huge smile on her face.

"I got on the team!" she exclaims.

"Congrats!" I say and before I could speak another word, Elsa has her arms wrapped my neck as she embraces me tightly. I'm taken aback by this, but my arms slowly creep around her waist in bashfulness. Two hugs in one day from a beautiful girl? Man, I'm such a lucky guy. We pull apart and for a few seconds, we just stare in each other's eyes, our faces only inches away. I calmly begin to lean in, the anticipation to feel my lips upon hers burning inside of me. I feel her tremble in my arms, as if she has been waiting a long time for this very moment.

"Oh ho ho! Look what we have here!" I jerk back and deep disappointment fills the hollowness that once held passion for the incoming kiss. Elsa steps back and crimson spreads along her fair cheeks. She sheepishly fiddles with the zipper of her hoodie and looks down, but I can still the see the smile on her face. I turn to glare at whoever interrupted our moment, but my face sinks as it was just Tooth.

"Tooth…" I groan and scowl at her.

"Oh! Was I interrupting something?" she asks, her lips forming into a steady line.

"_Yes_… Please go away," I growl and she sulks at my intimidation. She holds up her hands in a defensive gesture and slowly stalks away.

"Alright! I'll leave you two alone," She makes a kissy face at the two of us and I shoot a glare her way.

"I'm sorry about…her," I say with a saddened face.

Elsa giggles, and I just love how cute she sounds. "Oh, it's okay. Tooth is actually very sweet. Her and I are now teammates so I suspect we will become good friends."

"Oh? So she made it on the team? Good for her, I guess." I say with a smirk.

"Yeah, so what was it that you wanted to ask me?" Elsa asks.

"Oh yeah – would you like to go out and get some ice cream? You know, to celebrate your acceptance onto the swim team," I say and she chuckles.

"At nine at night?" she asks quizzically, but there's an amused grin on her magenta lips.

"Well yeah! That's the best time to get ice cream," I remark, my head slightly titled to the side.

"I suppose you're right," she says, her eyes glinting in the lights raining down from above, giving luminosity to the nighttime darkness. "Okay, let's go!" I beam and we walk side-by-side toward the academy's one and only ice cream parlor. As we travel down the long stretch of a concrete sidewalk, Elsa presses close to me until our bodies touch. My heart quickens in pace but I remain calm, or I at least try to. But when I feel her small hands wrap around my arm and hold on, that's when I really start to have a panic attack in my mind. I glance down at her and she gives me a look as if to say 'you don't mind if I do this?'

I slightly shake my head and smile. I feel like I am her guardian and I'm shielding her from any dangers lurking around. My thoughts wander to Pitch and his possible death-threats toward me. He already went after Anna, but ended up beating up Hans. What if he goes after Elsa? That shouldn't be a problem because I will always be by her side, and if Pitch wants her, he will have to go through me first.

We near the ice cream parlor, which is a small, square-shaped building that stands next to one of the other dormitories. Lights shine from within, giving radiance to the rather dark night. A sign sits on the glass window that reads _OPEN_ in bright red lights and flashes every second. I run a bit ahead and open the door for Elsa, who calls me a gentleman and thanks me. I blush at her comment and go in after her. The parlor is semi-empty tonight; there are a handful of people, either by themselves or with a significant other, sitting in different spots across the room.

I walk with Elsa to the transparent glass that covers a long line of various ice cream flavors.

"Wow, there's so many… I can't possibly choose," she says as she stares at each tub.

I chuckled. "How about mint? It's a classic and tastes amazing."

She peers at me with widened eyes. "I love mint! Oh my God, I'll have to go with that." I smile and wave the cashier over. He looks like a college student with chestnut hair, watery brown eyes, and a lanky figure. Boredom streaks his pale face, but he gives a half-hearted smile as he takes my order.

"Hi, I'll have two bowls of mint ice cream," I say.

"How many scoops for each?" he asks in a serene tone.

"For me, two, and for the lady – uh – how many would you like?" I look at Elsa with an arched eyebrow.

"Um, I will go with two as well," she says and the cashier nods. He picks out two Styrofoam bowls and opens the slide door to the freezer containing the frozen desserts. We watch in silence as he scoops out a few shovels of the green ice cream speckled with dark mints. He takes the bowls back to the register and we follow.

"That will be $7:50." He says. Elsa reaches into her pocket and pulls out a blue wallet, but I touch her arm to stop her.

"It's okay. I'll pay." I say and dig into my own pocket for my leathery brown wallet.

"Really? Are you sure?" she says and I wave it off.

"My treat," I say with a smirk and she smiles with gratitude. I tinker through my wallet and pull out a wrinkled ten dollar bill. I hand it to the cashier and he pops open the register to give me the change back. As Elsa takes up her bowl and I take up mine, the cashier says, "Have a good night," in a monotone voice.

"You too!" Elsa responds and we go to a booth away from everyone else in the corner. It overlooks the outside, but there really isn't much to see since it's nighttime and there aren't many lampposts at this location on the campus. I take a spoonful of the ice cream and I stick it into my mouth, relishing at the icy mint flavor. Elsa does the same, and she lets out a soft moan. Her sudden moan makes me quiver in my seat and I suddenly feel warm.

_Goddammit, Jack. Quit being a pervert._

"Ooh, I love ice cream. It's one of my favorite things." Elsa says as she places another spoonful into her mouth. She sits with a regal and dignified posture, almost like a queen, while I sit slumped and lazily, like the weird jester of the royal castle.

"Yeah, same here," I say and lean forward on my elbows. I flip my right wrist over so that my snowflake tattoo was in plain view. I always seem to flaunt it everywhere I go, but I can't help it – it was such a cool piece of art (no pun intended). Elsa's hand reached forward and her finger began to softly trace the outlines of the tattoo. I stopped breathing as her touch brought tingles up my arm and down my spine.

"Do you have any others?" she asks in a low voice.

"Huh?" I look at her confusingly, as if I didn't hear her question at all.

"Do you have any other tattoos?" she asks again, her icy blue gaze piercing into me.

"Uh – yeah – I actually do." I roll up the sleeve on my other arm a little above my bicep, revealing the lace of dark ink covering the underside of the skin there. It's a tribal tattoo of a wolf – and I must say, it's definitely a masterpiece. I got it during my freshman year of college; it was dare set by Bunny, who has plenty of tattoos himself, but he just wanted to see my reaction. I agreed anyways. The tattoo was an eye-catching beauty once the artist finished it.

"Wow, that's amazing," Elsa breaths out in admiration, her eyes flickering over the permanent ink.

"That's not all. I have two more." I grin as I motion to the side of my left forearm where a quote was imprinted in dark, cursive letters. It reads "_Winter is Coming."_ Elsa tilts her head to read it and she gasps.

"Oh my, you watch Game of Thrones too?!" She stares at me with wide, glistening eyes.

I nod and smile. "I do. It's my all-time favorite show. Plus, I just love the quote. It really fits my love for winter, even though it's still summer right now." I hooked my fingers around the scoop of my shirt and pulled it down to show off the beginnings of a dragon's head. Yes, I have a dragon tattoo. I got it as I began my sophomore year in college, but it wasn't because of Bunny. I always loved fantasy and the mythical beings that surround it, dragons being one of them. This particular tattoo was the biggest one I had; it started from my right shoulder and traveled all the way to the center of my chest.

Elsa's eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she stood from her seat to get a better look. "Holy shh –" I could tell she was speechless and I just smiled.

"A dragon? That's awesome!" Elsa beamed at me and shook her fisted hands in excitement.

"Yeah, I know," I put my shirt back in place, covering the dragon once again. "I've always been a big fan of fantasy related things, especially RPG's. Skyrim is my favorite."

"Oh cool! I don't really play video games. It's mostly because I'm terrible at them." Elsa giggles.

"Well, maybe I can teach you," I say as I stick another spoonful of ice cream into my mouth.

"Ooh, that would be nice…" Elsa purrs. Her eyes were half-opened and stared at me with a rather seductive glint to them. I nearly choke on a mint chip as it passes down my throat.

"Yeah, well – um – " My eyes dart around frantically as I feel the warm bubbling sensation of nervousness set in. Was that seduction in her flirty gaze? I couldn't really tell. I was so jittery at the moment that I could not even sit still.

"I actually have a question," Elsa says before I could make this conversation any more awkward. I silently sigh in relief.

"Hmm?" I say through a mouthful of minty goodness.

"Did all of those tattoos hurt? I couldn't imagine getting one myself. Well, my parents forbid me anyways so I don't know."

"The first one I got," I gestured to the snowflake. "Was pretty painful but I manned up. The rest weren't as bad as the first. I later became quite resistant to pain."

Elsa chortled and I joined in on her laughter. We finished our ice cream as the parlor was starting to close up and went back outside. From all of the hilarious things we were talking about, including me cracking a few cheesy jokes, I'm sure that our loud guffaws could be heard by the entire academy. We entered the Crystal dormitory and waited patiently for the elevator to arrive. The lobby was basically empty, except for Clarisse who sat at the front desk, deeply engrossed in a thick book with a dark blue cover.

"I can walk you to your dorm," I say as the elevator opens with a cheery ding.

"Really? I would really appreciate that," Elsa says we step in and I press the button labeled three. We ascend in silence since it was literally only a five-second ride. The doors slide open and we continue walking down the long hallway. There's no one currently wandering around, but as we pass by many dorms, I overhear the chattering or laughter of girls through the closed doors. We stopped before a door that had a gold plaque on the front with 278 engraved into it: Elsa's dorm.

Elsa turned around to face me, a slight blush beginning to creep along her cheeks. "I had a great time tonight with you, Jack."

"Yeah, I could say the same for you." I say with a soft smile. She stared up at me and before I even realized it, her lips were on mine. My eyes widened in absolute shock and I was frozen in place. Holy shit, Elsa was kissing me! Elsa Summers, aka the most gorgeous girl I have ever laid eyes on, was kissing me! Her arms wrapped around my neck as I deepened the kiss happily. I rested my hands on her waist, which felt small and delicate under my big palms. Her lips were soft and sweet and unlike anything I have experienced before. Damn, she was a much better kisser than Violet! I was so involved in the kiss that I barely heard the click of a door opening.

"Oh dear God!" The two of us pulled apart to see Merida standing at the doorway, cladded in blue-plaid pajama pants and a dark t-shirt. Her fiery red hair was an even frizzier mess that the last time I saw her. Elsa uncomfortably rubbed her arm at the sight of her roommate and I just stood there with an expressionless face.

"If you two are going to make-out in the hallway, get a goddamn room," she says before storming back into the room. Elsa and I just exchange looks and laugh.

"Well, I best let you get into your dorm," I say and take a few steps back.

"Wait, Jack," I keep still as Elsa rummages through her bag and pulls out a notebook and pen. She then scribbles something on a page and rips it out, handing it to me. I carefully look it over: her phone number, a series of seven digits in perfect handwriting, was printed with a small heart at the end.

"I feel like such a dummy for not giving you my phone number before," she says and gently smacks her forehead.

"Thanks," I say and slide the piece of paper into my pocket. "So…does this mean we're official?" She grins and gives me a soft peck on the cheek.

"I'll let you figure that out on your own," She winks and steps into her dorm through the wide-opened door that Merida left. With a quick wave of her hand, she sunk into the room and softly closed the door behind there. I stood there for a bit longer that I intended, but I couldn't help it. I was nearly going to implode with happiness.

As I turned around and started toward the elevators, I touched my lips with gentle fingertips, enjoying the tingling sensation that now settled within them.

* * *

**Yayy! They kissed! Ooh, and they're now dating! *Fangirling intensifies* Haha!**

**Remember to leave a review! :D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Awww, you guys are awesome! Thank you for all of the incredible reviews! But seriously, you are the best readers a girl could ever ask for :) **

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**~ Three days later ~**

**Elsa's POV**

The vexatious beeping of my alarm clock flooded my peaceful dreams, immediately snapping me awake. I struggled to look out of blurry eyes as my arm shot out from underneath the covers and fumbled for the off button on the alarm. I felt plastic under my warm palm and pressed down. The beeping stopped, and I sighed in relief. My vision cleared up only slightly and I glanced, almost glared, at the glowing red digits displayed on the clock. It was 7:00 am.

I groaned and collapsed on my back on the bed. Today was the first day of classes. My first class of the day, which was Liberal Arts, started in an hour. It felt like the first time in forever that I was actually waking up this early. For the past few months, I was able to enjoy my days off and sleep in, but I guess that's all over. I sat up and swung my legs over the bed. My hands came up and I rubbed my eyes to try and get rid of the blurriness that coated them, as well as the fatigued that still lingered around. Merida, remarkably, was still asleep and snored loudly with her blue-plaid blanket twisted around her body. I stood up and clumsily grabbed one of the pillows off of my bed.

"Merida…Wake up…" I threw the pillow at her and she stirred. Her head shot up from the pillow that she was slobbering on and her frizzy hair exploded all over her face.

"W-what? Are we getting robbed?!" She grabbed her blanket and covered her head with it. Her body shifted over the mattress and she ended up falling to the floor on her face. I couldn't help but burst out laughing. She was quite a klutz, especially very early in the morning.

"No, we're not getting robbed!" I shook my head but at the same time I grinned. "Classes start today. You better get up." Merida groaned and slammed her face back into her pillow. I rolled my eyes. Rooming with her was like living with a stubborn toddler. Is this what my life will be like once Jack and I have children of our own? Well – ah! What am I talking about? We have only been dating for a few days now. That's so ridiculous of me to delve into our relationship so soon to the point of talking about babies. I'm sure we're not quite ready for that at the moment. God, I feel like Anna now…

I lumbered over to the bathroom, all while letting out a loud yawn, and stepped onto the cold marble flooring. I quickly showered and ran back outside to search through my wardrobe for an outfit. It was the first day of class after all so I wanted to look my best. I settled for a light blue skirt, white blouse, and brown heels. I scurried back into the bathroom before Merida could notice my presence, which was unlikely since she was in bed. I couldn't tell if she was sleeping or just lying there. I slipped the clothing on and weaved my partially damp hair into its usual braid.

I stepped out and checked the clock one last time: 7:25. Okay, I had a little over an hour to until my first class. Maybe I could actually have breakfast down at the cafeteria – and Jack could join me.

"I think your boyfriend texted ya," Merida says as she sits up, her hands pushing through her hair to try and tame it down.

"Really?" I say and hurry over to my phone that rests on top of the side table. Merida was right; as I swiped my fingers over the screen, Jack's message floats up and I read it:

_Jack – Good morning, beautiful ;) _

I blush and my hand comes up to cover my mouth, but I still smile against the skin. Jack is such a sweetie! I send a quick message back to him, and it ends up being a short but sweet conversation.

_Elsa – Aww, hey there, handsome :)_

_Jack – How is my little snowflake doing?_

_Elsa – Pretty good, I guess. I'm just bummed that classes begin today…_

_Jack – Yeah, me too. But at least we have Liberal Arts together, eh? ;)_

I smiled. When Jack told me that he was majoring in Liberal Arts, I nearly cried with joy. He doesn't look like the kind of guy to be interested in that subject, but frankly, I did not care. As long as he was in one of my classes, I was happy. I just hope he doesn't distract me too much… I can't afford to do poorly in my own major.

_Elsa – I know! It's so exciting! :D Hey, do you want to meet at the cafeteria for breakfast?_

_Jack – Sure! But how about I come by your dorm? Then we can walk together and talk._

_Elsa – Okay, that would be nice. I will see you then._

I slid my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and went over to retrieve my messenger bag that hung on the post of my bed. It was now bulky and slightly heavy due to the many notebooks and binders that I packed inside of it. I stood in front of the mirror and adjusted the collar of my blouse. I caught Merida's reflection in the glass, and she was still tangled in the sheets on her bed.

"Hey Merida?" I turned around to look at her. She grunted as if to say 'yes?'. "Do you want to come to the cafeteria for breakfast with Jack and I?"

"To watch the two of you make-out the entire time?" She sat back up and shot me a hesitant look, but I could see the ghost of an amused grin on her face. "No thanks. I've seen plenty of that already."

"Oh really?" I arch an eyebrow at her, but smile slightly.

"Yeah. I'll just grab something from the fridge." She dangled her legs over the bed and slowly stood up, groaning.

"Suit yourself," I say. "I forgot to ask, what is your major?"

"Engineering," she says as she stretches her limbs. I wince as a pop cartilage erupted from her arm and she hisses. "Ow… anyways, I'm taking it because I love to build things. What about ya?"

"Liberal Arts. You know Jack's in my class?" I say with a smile.

"Oh?" she teasingly says and begins to slowly shuffle away from her bed. "I feel bad for your professor." She chuckles before disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door rather sharply behind. I snicker her way and turn back to the mirror. Suddenly a knock vibrated against the door and my heart picked up in pace. That must be Jack! I fixed a few loose strands of hair floating around my head and went over to open the door. Jack stood outside with a pearly smile on his face and his blue eyes glittering with happiness at the sight of me. He wore brown jeans, a dark blue-plaid shirt, and blue and white sneakers. A dark backpack was slung over one shoulder with one hand gripping the strap and the other deep in his pocket.

"Hey babe," he says with a wink. His voice rumbles deep and soothing in his throat; I find it incredibly sexy. I grin and stand on my tip-toes to give him a quick kiss.

"Hey," I mumble against his lips. He had the sweet smell of body wash wafting off from him, as if he just got out of the shower. And I was right. As I pulled away to gaze up at him, his silvery-white hair still glistened with water droplets and was brushed up in gentle spikes. I stepped out of my dorm and closed the door, not bothering to lock it since Merida was still inside.

I clasped hands with Jack and we descended down the hallway. The dormitory was now bustling with the most activity than I have ever seen since moving here. Girls hurried down the hall in either packs or by themselves. They all carry backpacks, textbooks, binders, and everything you could imagine required for school. We arrive at the elevator and squeeze in between a crowd of overly excited girls. I don't understand why they were so thrilled. Jack pulls me beside him into the small space in the corner of the elevator, our hands not once breaking apart.

Personal space was limited among the girls, and I felt almost claustrophobic. Jack allowed me to press up against his frontal area and he wrapped his arms around my waist. His lips brushed against the side of my neck, sending shivers up and down my spine. I leaned my head upwards and caught his teasing lips in a heated kiss. I lifted my arm and entangled my fingers in his hair. My insides were screaming for more but he broke apart and jerked his face away, a playful smirk tugging on the corner of his mouth.

"Now, now, we don't want to get kinky in the elevator, do we?" His delicate whisper tickled my ear and I giggled softly. I flashed my eyes up to his and reluctantly nodded. I looked back at the other girls, but they weren't even paying attention to us. They were talking and laughing in their own world.

The doors finally slid opened and the girls poured out like a horde of salmon swimming with the fast current of a river. I could almost hear the faint sigh of relief coming from Jack's lips. We walked out, still hand-in-hand, toward the exit and outside. The morning air was crisp and cool, just the way I liked it. It was better than the warm and humid weather that has been drifting around lately.

"You know, I forgot to say something," Jack eyes me from the side with a flirtatious grin set upon his lips. "You look really nice today." I blush and smile up at him. Honestly, I was expecting him to say something like 'sexy' or 'hot' about the way I dressed today. He has been acting rather naughty ever since we started dating. It first started off with harmless compliments and flirty remarks, and then it gradually grew into sexual innuendos. I didn't mind, though. I actually fantasize on what it would be like to share a bed with him… But it's a bit too early to be thinking about that.

"Thanks," I reply shyly. "You look good in plaid." His eyes darted to me and they sparkled under the thin rays of the sun.

"Why thank ya," He bends down and pecks me on the cheek. I giggle and felt warmth seep into my cheeks. He always succeeds in making me feel like an absolute fool, but in a good way. We continue traveling down the cobblestone until the large building containing the cafeteria came into view. I've been here plenty of times and the food is outstanding. It serves all three main meals, even including snacks that could be picked up at any time, and the food is international. You can to eat Mexican for lunch and then have Japanese for dinner. It's just that amazing.

As we enter, a long line conjugates all the way down the staircase that ascends toward the food court. My face sinks in disappointment as my eyes glide up the line of students and patrons.

"Aww, man," I groan. "With this line, we'll be late for class. And on the first day too!"

"Relax," Jack chuckles and touches my arm. "You know what? There's a small café not too far from here. We can quickly grab something from there and be on our way."

"Yeah, okay. Good idea." I smile at him and we turn around to leave.

He was right; the café was just next to the food court, and much smaller in size, but it looked comfy. Jack, being the chivalrous young man that he was, kindly opened the door for me and followed in after. This place was busy too, but not as crowded. The two of us stood in line and looked at the menu that hung from above.

Jack snaked his arm around my waist and reeled me in. I sighed as he embraced me in his strong and comforting arms. He made me feel at peace with myself, and forget all about my worries.

"What would you like?" he whispered as he rested his chin on my shoulder. I reached up and softly traced the outline of his jaw, grinning as I did.

"Hmm…" I glimpsed back up at the menu and squinted at the tiny print of letters. I wasn't too hungry at the moment which is typically unlike of me. "I think I'll go with a chocolate croissant and a cup of coffee." Jack removed his arms from around me and straightened up, but placed a kiss on top of my head. I loved when he did that; it made me feel like a kid again.

"Alright," he says. "But I think a chocolate sprinkled donut and a cup of chai tea sounds more appetizing," He shoots me a mischievous grin and I gently prod him in the ribs.

"Oh hush," I say with a smirk. The line begins to move and we find ourselves standing before a young brunette girl with a wide set of brown eyes. She wears the café's uniform, which are a yellow and orange collared shirt and an orange hat.

"Good morning! May I take your order?" she cheerfully asks. Jack steps forward and orders for the two of us. I'm about to reach into my bag to get my wallet, but he already whips out a couple dollars and pays for the food with great speed. I raise my eyebrows but say nothing, and slide my wallet back into my bag. Our order comes almost immediately and we both take our sweet pastry and cup of a hot liquid. Jack hisses as he grips his cup and sets it back on the counter.

"What is it?" I ask worriedly.

"Oh, nothing. The cup was just really hot. You know how I feel discomfort with hot things, right?" He tilts his head to the side. I nod and wait for him to carefully pick the cup up again. We make our way to the exit and push out into the breezy morning. I take a bite out of my croissant and relish in its deliciousness. Chocolate has always been one of my favorite things, as well as it being Anna's too.

"How's your croissant?" Jack asks through a mouthful of donut. I try to stifle a laugh at his rather crude manners.

"It's _amazing_," I say and take another bite, smiling widely as a burst of chocolate enlightens my taste buds.

"Ooh, can I try?" he asks after he takes a quick sip from his chai tea.

"Mhm, why don't you just find out?" I lean into him and press my lips against his. I'm pretty sure I had chocolate residue on my mouth, so he's definitely going to taste it. We pull apart and he grins, his tongue swiping over his lips.

"Yum, that _is_ a good croissant," He wraps an arm around me and I press up against him. I lay my head on his shoulder and take a deep breath in. Summer was slowly drawing to an end, but the smell of grass baking in the sun still infiltrated my nose. Summer may not be my most favorite season, but I always enjoyed the fond memories and beautiful nature-related wonders that were created during the past few heated months. I gazed up as we walked under a towering oak tree; its green leaves were fading to a mixture of oranges, reds, and yellows, as if someone ran a paintbrush over each leaf.

The Jefferson Hall could now be seen as we turned a corner. It was a medium-sized building with concrete walls, gleaming windows, and a dark-tinted roof. Classes such as Liberal Arts and the romance languages are held here. I've been here once when I was taking French and the inside of the building was very elegant, nice. Jack and I approached the entrance, where students were already filing in, and went on in. A blast of the air-conditioner flooded over me, oddly bringing goose bumps down my arms. But I disregarded them and they soon vanished like nothing was really there. We moved down a velvet-carpeted hallway with multiple paintings covering the walls. One of the paintings included Walt Disney, the founder of Fantasy Academy, and other co-founders and employees who have helped guide the Academy to its phenomenal success.

The hallway melted into one, big classroom that was sloped downwards toward the lower deck. It resembled an auditorium where plays or speeches would take place. Movie theater-like rows of seats were set all over the room with a clear path leading to the front of the classroom. At the very bottom was a large white-board that was blank at the moment, but will probably be covered in black marker texts and pictures by the end of the semester. There was podium beside the board with an older man standing behind it. He was quite short and his face could be barely seen behind the podium. His hair was gray and balding, and a thick mustache hid his upper lip, almost looking like a limp rat rather than facial hair. Glasses were set upon his nose and a crucial look of disgust was twisted on his wrinkled face.

"Whoa, I didn't know Yoda was our professor," Jack whispered to me. I covered my mouth with a hand to suppress a hard giggle. As we descended down the pathway to find good seats, Jack stopped in his tracks. His muscles were tensed and a look of dread shrouded his once friendly and playful face.

"Jack?" I touched his arm but he didn't move. His eyes were wide, filled with fear, and aimed somewhere toward the front row of seats in the room. I followed his gaze and spotted a young man sitting, an arm propped on the seat beside him casually and a leg atop the other. He wore all dark clothing, reminding me of the Dauntless from the Divergent book I was reading. His jet-black hair was slick back and his skin was inhumanly pale, like a ghost. How strange; he seems to fit the description that Anna told me about the guy who confronted her and fought with Hans.

But what I didn't notice was that he was staring right at me, his lips curled into a spiteful grin and his dark eyes flickering over my body with the uttermost enticing malice.


	14. Chapter 14

**This is where the story gets really dramatic. I'm going to forewarn all of you, but you're going to get major feelings later on in future chapters. You may even cry, or break out screaming. Yes, I'm _that_ kind of author ;) *grins evilly* MUHAHAHA**

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**Jack's POV**

What the hell was _he _doing here? I stared at the shady bastard that I once called a friend. He was looking right at me – or what it Elsa? I glanced at her through my peripheral vision. Her face was smeared with slight fear, her blue eyes now dull and glassy, she sees him, and he returns her frightened gaze with a venomous smirk. I grab her arm and tug her back up the pathway, where we nearly collide with oncoming students who mutter and whisper with irritation. I find a concealed spot among the top rows, away from Pitch's wandering eyes.

"J-Jack? Who is that guy?" Elsa's voice drips with anxiety and I slightly wince at her fearful tone. I grip her shoulders gently and stare into her eyes.

"Everything will be okay, Elsa. That guy over there – " I jab a finger in his direction without taking my eyes off of her. "He's no good. Me and him have…history together, but I would rather not discuss it into further detail. Just stick close to me and I will keep you safe." She nods but I still see the tears watering in her eyes. She probably already suspects that he's the guy that went after Anna and Hans, and she fears that he will come after her next. But I won't let that happen.

I drape an arm over her shoulders and guide her over to the opposite side of the pathway. We find a pair of seats residing directly in the middle. It has a good view of the teacher and white board, but is also well away from Pitch and his wicked glares. I take my backpack off and set it on the floor. I stuff a hand in to retrieve a notebook and pencil. Elsa gracefully pulls the flap of her messenger bag off and digs around for her own supplies. She's quiet the entire time, and it bothers me, but I say nothing. There isn't really much to say at the moment.

"Come on, everyone! Get to your seats. Class will begin soon." The professor walks around from the podium so we can have a better view of him. He's a short man wearing a white buttoned-up shirt with a red tie around his neck, khakis, and brown loafers. It's funny, really, and I can't help but laugh at the way he walks. I peer at Elsa from the side; her head is bowed and she stares blankly at a page in her opened notebook. I lean in closer to her and nudge her arm softly with my elbow.

"Professor Yoda walks like a disoriented pigeon," I grin. I'm trying my best to cheer her up. I don't want her being all sullen and worried for the rest of the day. Elsa looks up at me and slightly giggles. It worked. My humorous charm succeeded on making her laugh and perhaps she will brighten up a bit.

"Okay, class! Take your seats. We will now start." The Professor walks up to the white board, picks up a dark marker, and begins writing something in large, scratchy handwriting. "My name is Professor Weselton, and I will teach you all you need to know about the Liberal Arts." I tried to stifle a chuckle. Weselton? Wow, that sounds awfully a lot like _Weasel_ton.

"Weselton? More like Weaselton," I murmured to Elsa with a low snicker. She placed a hand over her mouth as if to prevent a laugh. I smiled in satisfaction.

Professor Weselton began to drone on about his expectation of all of us and a breakdown of what the semester will be like. I sighed and rested my chin on top of my palm. My other hand tapped the end of my pencil on the spiral spine of my notebook in utter boredom. This is going to be a long class.

* * *

Class ended an hour – or two – later. I couldn't really tell. I forgot to wear my watch and the only clock in the room was in the very front. I was sitting way too high to be able to read it clearly. Professor Weselton dismissed the class with a flick of his hand and students started to move out of the room in a disorderly mob. I stayed seated and my eyes burned toward the left side and front of the classroom. Pitch was slowly getting his stuff together. He slid a navy blue binder into the opening of his backpack, but he did it so calmly. I gripped my pencil and my thumbnail dug into the wood.

"Jack?" I tore my gaze from Pitch and looked up at Elsa. She already had her messenger bag slung over a shoulder and her arms were crossed. "Are you ready to go?"

"Oh, yeah, hold on," I quickly shoveled my books into my own bag and zipped it up. I stood up and interlocked my hand with Elsa's. I gave her a loving smile and she returned it with a rather small one. Pitch was now talking to Professor Weselton, his back completely turned to us. I seized this opportunity and pulled Elsa with me toward the exit. We half-ran, half-walked out of the building and into the sharp sunlight outside. I squinted and slightly hissed at the explosive brightness.

"That was close," I murmur and Elsa nodded. We walk down the cobblestone path and well away from the Jefferson Hall. I wonder if it's going to be like this every day. Always on the run from Pitch who happened to be in the same class as us. I don't understand. Did he purposely switch into Liberal Arts just to torture me? I will find a way to get rid of him. Now, don't think like that. I'm not going to kill the guy; I just want to get him expelled. That should teach him.

"So…what's your next class?" Elsa asks, her head ducked and looking towards her feet.

"Literature," I say.

"Aww, we won't be together," Elsa looks to me with a saddened face. I notice her eyes are still watery and partially red. My lip quivers. I can't stand to see her this way.

"Yeah, but afterwards, I'm free. So we can spend the rest of each day with each other." I lift her hand and press a kiss upon the soft skin.

"Me too! All I have is Architecture next and then I have no other class to go to." She beams up at me with luminous eyes. I'm glad to see the usual spark of joy lighting up within her.

"Architecture, huh? Sounds difficult," I chuckle.

"It's not, really. I've been interested in building ever since I was young. I have a strange talent for it," she says. Her gaze shifts to the ground and she stops talking briefly. "Um, Jack?"

"Yeah?" I muse at her.

"Do you mind walking with me to the Madison Hall? It's where my Architecture class is. I'm not necessarily comfortable going by myself." She rubs her arm and gives me a look full of concern. I can tell she's still worried about Pitch.

"Of course." I say and wrap an arm around her waist. My thumb gently strokes the soft fabric of her skirt.

"Thanks," She leans into me and sighs. "I always feel safe with you."

I smile with gratitude and we walk in silence towards the Madison Hall. It's not too far from where we stand, and the rectangular-shaped brick structure comes into view after a few more footsteps around a bend in the pathway. I watch as students make their way inside, all socializing with each other and laughing at a funny joke or so. My legs take me toward the entrance of the building and I pull Elsa to the side.

"I'll see you later," I catch her lips in a passionate kiss and she wraps her arms around my neck, her fingers curling into my scruff. We pull apart and she offers me a kind smile before walking through the doors. I stand where I am, my heart beating rather quickly. I doubt Pitch would be in her class, but then again, what if he is? He could try and lure her into his deathly grasp, possibly use manipulation, and where would it go on from there? I shut my eyes and rub my forehead, the sense of paranoia giving me a slight headache. Maybe I should just take a peek inside. It won't hurt anyone.

As I place one foot forward to go on in, a voice, deep and menacing, calls for me from behind.

"Hello Jack." I stop in place and tingles of dread race up and down my spine. I know that voice from anywhere. It haunted my deepest and darkest nightmares, and still to this day, it causes shivers to prickle my skin like the thorns of a rose. I slowly, and reluctantly, turn around only to come face-to-face with a towering shadow. Pitch always looked like that, even in broad daylight. The only thing that distinguished him as a human was his sickly pale skin that glowed like white chalk against dark asphalt.

"What do you want, Pitch?" I glare at him and he just sneers in disgust.

"That name is just pathetic. Haven't you learned that I don't like to go by it?" His dark eyes glitter with bitterness as deadly as the most potent poison on the tip of an Amazon warrior's arrow.

I smirk smugly. "Whatever. Why the hell are you following me?" My question turns out as a spiteful growl elicited by the bubbling hatred in my stomach.

"Like I said, Frost, I'm intent on getting my revenge. You aren't going to slip so easily from my fingers," Pitch says, his lip curled into a snarl.

"You know, it's not healthy to hold grudges. You just gotta _let it go_," I can't help but laugh. "Let it Go" was a song written by Elsa and she even sung it for me. Well, I persistently begged her into doing it, which involved many tickling sessions and prodding, and she eventually caved in. Elsa has a beautiful voice and I don't understand why she didn't take music or any of the arts related classes. But she told me that she just likes to do it for fun, and she doesn't want a career in it.

"Don't be so humorous with me," Pitch says. "I know your weakness, and I will go after it."

"My weakness? What in the world could that possibly be?" I sarcastically say with a chuckle.

"Why your lovely girlfriend, that's who." Pitch grins harshly at me and I do nothing but stare back him. My hands tighten into fists and I feel my joints swell with pain as I clamp them together hard.

"Elsa…?" Her name comes out as a choked sob, barely audible. It was nearly lodged in my throat, but ended up floating out like a leaf in the wind.

"Yes, I've heard many good things about her," He walks around me with his hands clasped behind his back.

"How do you know about her?" I whip around to meet his eyes, my muscles tensed and ready to pounce at any moment.

"I honestly don't," he smiles without actually smiling. It was just a twitch of his lips. "I just know that she's associated with you, therefore she's automatically on my hit list,"

"You wouldn't dare touch her," I raise myself to his level, which is a couple inches above my stature.

He grins madly in my face. "Just watch me try."

That tears it. Everything in my body snaps to the breaking point, like the electrical wires in an overheated gaming system. I feel my face contort into a baneful glare as if I was charging into battle. My arm shoots out and I smash my fist into his face. Pain flashes up my fingers, making me grimace, but at the same time, I grin as I hear the satisfying pop of cartilage. I managed to strike Pitch directly in the nose. He stumbles back with a cry, clutching at his face, but he doesn't fall down. I'm not sure if I broke his nose, but as blood seeps through his fingers, staining his pale skin a bright crimson, I can't help but smile triumphantly.

The students rambling all around us have stopped, their eyes trained on both me and Pitch. Some crowd in a circle to watch while others keep their safe distance. This was like high school all over again. I got into many fights, one of them including with Pitch, and I always had that fiery adrenaline race through my veins. The fights were, most of the time, broken up my teachers. I was usually sent the principal's office with either a black eye or bloody lip. I was never expelled, just expended for up to two weeks. My parents scolded me, took away all of my rights, and even forced me to stay up in my room all day, but the cycle would begin again and I would get into another fight. They never understood me.

Pitch struggles to stand on his own two feet. His body sways clumsily and he grips his bloody nose with a hand. The other arm dangles at his side, his hand enclosed into a weak fist. He shoots a maleficent glare my way, his pearly teeth bared into a fierce snarl.

"You motherfucker," he spat through blood that had dribbled down to his mouth. He lunged at me and grabbed my arm violently, heaving me toward the ground. I fell with a yelp and rolled onto my back. He was charging at me with a flurry of rapid steps, his arms splayed out and fists extended. I tried to jump up before he could reach me, but his foot kicking me in the side left me completely breathless. For the next moment, all I felt was a chain of excruciating stabs all over my chest and ribs. I groan and sputter curses, but at one point, he strikes my face with undying force, immediately shutting me up. Blood slowly starts to trickle down my temple.

"Have you had enough, Frost?" Pitch growls, his dark eyes blazing down at me. I groan something, but I'm not sure what it exactly was. With all of the power that I still had in me, I forcefully jerk up and back on my feet. Pain smeared the right side of my face, and it was on the verge of going numb, but I still stood my ground. I thrust myself forward and collide with Pitch. My hands bare down on his throat while his own scratch at my chest. I'm suddenly caught in a trance of determination. My main goal was to get rid of the burden before me: Pitch. Whether I seriously damage him or even kill him, I don't care. He's going down, and I will be victorious.

But something disrupts my heated fury, rendering me vulnerable

"Jack!" Elsa's scream rips through the sounds of the crowd's frightened murmurs and even the grunts produced by me and Pitch. My head perks up and I stare at her. She stands with the crowd that had conjugated around us, her face streaked with fear and worry. My eyes focus on her, my body goes completely limp, and I lose my grip on Pitch. But he finds this distraction fortunate and smites me across the cheekbone with a hardened fist. My world turns to darkness from then on.


	15. Chapter 15

**NOTICE! I have a special request for all of my fabulous readers out there. If anyone out there is an artist, I am proposing if you could draw artwork related to this story (I will use it as the book cover). It can be a character (I'm mostly focused on Jack and Elsa since this story revolves around them) or a specific scene or even Jack's tattoos. I don't care. Just make amazing art and I will love you forever! :) I can't draw to save my life, so I'm relying on you awesome artists out there!**

**If you are able to do this, please PM me or notify me on my tumblr which is _defiant-and-dauntless. _Thanks for taking the time to read this!**

**Now, please enjoy the chapter! (It's a bit creepy in the beginning. Just warning you...)**

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_It was cold, oh so cold, and dark too. The darkness_ _shrouded all around me like a blanket of fear and suffocation. I peered in front of me, but I was blind. The dark was overpowering, covering the area ahead of me far than the eye can see. I looked down at my hand; it was ghastly pale and contrasted the darkness like a shining light. I felt numb, and oddly disoriented, like this was nothing but a dream or hallucinating trance. Putting one foot in front of the other, I slowly moved forward._

_As if a switch was turned on from my movement, my vision cleared, revealing that I was standing in a dim alleyway. It looked to be the one you typically see in a city: trashed, deserted, and had the unseemly aura of paranoia floating around, as if you were fearful that someone was ought to jump out and either attack or rob you. It was strange, really. This whole situation that I fell into felt like a hypnotic simulation, yet everything surrounding me felt real. I breathed in and out, and a puff of cloudy carbon dioxide swirled out of my mouth._

_I wrapped my arms around myself, the desperation for warmth becoming intense. I usually have no problem with the cold, but in this unfamiliar territory, it seeped through my skin and chilled my bones to the marrow. Blood roared in my ears, nearly muffling my own footsteps in the echoing alley. How could this be? Everything was so surreal, and yet I could feel my own blood rushing hotly through my veins and my heart pounding in my chest._

_Up ahead, a solid brick wall came in view, blocking my path. It was a dead end. I stopped and stared confusingly at it. I turned on my heels to walk back out, but something shifting in the shadows forced my legs to freeze and stay in place. A shadow, lean and towering, moved towards me. It paused merely a couple feet away from me and morphed into a more human-like form. Its face become visible through the dark, and the shadow was not just an it, but a he. His face was pale, with black veins stretching in tendrils over his temples, cheeks, and down his neck. They throbbed with anticipation for cruelty and blood. His glowing red eyes glared right at me, the shimmer of malice reflecting in his crimson irises._

_I froze with fear, my arms dangling limply at my sides and my gaze penetrating the shadow before me with great horror. I didn't know what to do, make a break for it? No, he was in my way, and he would surely grab me without hesitation or mercy. He spoke not a word; his pointed teeth were set in an intimidating snarl and he stuck a hand into the flap of his jacket. He drew something out. The glint of steel and the click of a reloading bullet didn't make it too difficult to figure out. Then without even aiming, he whirled the gun around and shot right at me. I felt the impact of the bullet dig into my leg, but the pain didn't flood in until a few seconds later._

_It was utterly excruciating, and I collapsed to the ground with a faint yelp, my hands clutching at the pierced flesh. Blood soaked through my pants, staining it red that was unlike anything I have seen before. It was my own blood, spilling out of my own skin. It was painful to watch so I squeezed my eyes shut. The shadow-man laughed bitterly at my misery. His cackles bounced on the stone walls of the alleyway, infiltrating my ears with a deathly pounding. It hurt too much; I just wanted it to end. _

_Suddenly a cry, feminine and filled with dread, pierced through both the silence and the shadow's evil chortling. I looked up to see a young woman running to me. She was familiar and beautiful and her mascara ran down her face in a stream of tears. I gasped out and struggled to get up. I pressed my palms into the ground, my fingers getting dirtied up in the dusty grime. My eyes shifted back up only to see the shadow stalking toward the woman, his finger on the trigger of his gun. He proceeded to raise it and I could only watch and scream out._

"_NO!"_

My eyes snapped open and I jolted up, only to realize that I was in a bed. The layers of blankets that once covered me up to my chest shrunk down into a pile of fluffy cotton as I sat up. I had a slight headache settled directly in between my eyebrows and forehead, and I hissed as tiny pinpricks of pain pierced within the skin. My vision was blurry and there were glittering dots floating all around, but as I blinked a few times, it all cleared away. It was until now that I noticed there was a gentle weight on my arm, soft and comforting.

"Jack?" I recognized that voice from anywhere. I looked over and saw Elsa sitting by my bedside. She looked weary, her pretty features now dull and streaked with anxiety as if she waited a while for me to wake up. My shirt clung to my body with cold sweat and there was a stinging pain on my upper lip. I reached up to touch it, but Elsa placed a hand on my forearm, stopping me in midair.

"Don't, you have a split lip. It will just get infected." I dropped my hand back to my side, curling my fingers into the cottony fabric of the white blanket beneath me. I peered around, and realized that I was lying in an unfamiliar place. Cots sat in lines to my left and right, all empty and neatly folded up with tucked in ivory sheets. The room had baby blue painted walls, white-tiled flooring, and blinding lights that were set in rectangular shapes on the ceiling. The bed I occupied was placed beside a large window. Thick silky curtains covered most of the transparent glass, but as I strained my eyes through the clear slits, the nighttime had already fallen in the outside world.

_Damn, how long was I out for?_

"Where am I?" I glimpsed up at Elsa who was eyeing me with a mixture of passion and worriment.

"The infirmary," She sighed and grasped my hand. Her slender fingers weaved through my own, and I smiled slightly at her soothing touch. "You got into a fight with that creepy guy and he knocked you out cold." She frowned at me and I couldn't help but smirk.

"Creepy guy?" I say, my eyebrow raising.

"Well, I don't know his name. He dresses all in black, has a reputation of being troublesome, and I take it you don't like him very much." She rubs her temples with her fingertips as if there is an annoying ache permeating her head.

"Oh, you mean Pitch?" I tremble at the mention of his name. That bastard's going to pay for what he did, drastically. But at the same time, the nightmare that I recently suffered through burned in the back of my mind. That shadow man looked almost like him… but I doubt all of that is real, or could eventually come to be. It was just a nightmarish trance, and now it's over with.

"Is that really is name?" Elsa's brow furrowed with suspicion.

"Nah, his real name is Connor Black. But I've been calling him Pitch because if you put that together with his last name, it's Pitch Black. I thought it was fitting since he practically looks like a shadow."

"True," Elsa looked away for a moment, her gaze boring into the ground. "How do you feel?"

"Other than my bruised face and sore muscles, I actually feel okay." I give her a reassuring smile, and she returns it with an earnest lift of her lips.

"That's good," Her thumb brushes across the calloused patches of my palm. Opposites collide as her soft skin skims over my own rough skin. I find it strange, but fascinating at the same. Her gentle touch sends electric tingles that surge down my arm, even delving into my aching bones. "You know, you're lucky that you didn't get expelled." She says.

"I didn't?" I'm surprised but relieved too. "What about Pitch?"

"I have no idea. After you went unconsciousness, he fled the scene. There's been no sight of him since then. Serves him right…" She glares down at her lap, but I press my fingertips delicately to her wrist. Her bright sapphire eyes flicker back up to me, and I smile.

"Hey, I'm pissed at the asshole too, but I think it's best if we forget about it for now," I say.

"But he _hurt_ you, Jack," she stressed on the word 'hurt' and grief clouded her watery eyes.

"I know, oh, I definitely know," I massaged my sore arm, which had a splotchy bruise covering it. "I'll get revenge on him sometime, but for now, I'm just going to focus on recovering." Elsa pursed her lips doubtfully, but she sighed and nodded, her eyes closed.

"Yeah, you're right," she says with a small smile.

"I have a question," I say and weakly sit up in bed so that I could be eye-level with her. "How did you manage to carry me here?"

She giggled softly. "Oh, I didn't carry you. Anna was coincidentally walking by with this burly guy and he helped take you here. Apparently he knew you and was worried,"

"Really? Who was he?" I ask.

"Kristoff, I believe that's what his name is. He's in Anna's music class and they befriended each other," she says while twisting a loose lock of pale blonde hair in between her fingers.

"Ah yeah, he's one of my roommates," I give her a toothy grin. "I still find it funny that he's a music major. It's not every day that you see a manly football jock who's so into music."

Elsa hovers her hand over her lips and giggles. "So he's a football player, huh? Anna actually said that she might try out to be a cheerleader,"

"Is that so?" I reach my hand forward, despite the numbing pain burning in my shoulder, and grab a hold of Elsa's snowflake necklace. My thumb touches the glittery pendant; I'm amazed at how similar it looks to my own snowflake tattoo on my wrist. She looks down and grabs my hand with her own. Her fingers trail down my arm, causing a shiver to rocket through me. "Anna can cheer him on if she does get on the squad. Those two sound perfect for each other." I admit with a short breath of laughter.

"I don't think they'll ever be more than friends, though. Anna is already with Hans." Elsa frowns. "I honestly like Kristoff more than him."

"I could say the same," I say and stare into her eyes. She smiles and leans into me, placing her soft lips upon mine. I deepen the kiss and stroke her hair with a hand, my fingers twiddling with the braid draped down her back. She presses closer to my body, increasing the intimacy by just a bit. But her hand grazes my side rather roughly, the exact place where Pitch painfully kicked me. I hissed and she jerked back, her eyes wide with concern.

"What happened?" she asks.

"Ah – nothing," I lie between gritted teeth and clutch lightly at the throbbing ache on my ribs. "Well, the bruise on my side is unbearably painful."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," She apologetically bows her head but she gets distracted by a glow in her pocket. Her hand reaches in and pulls out her phone, checking the lighted screen. "Ah! I have to go to swim practice in a little less than an hour. I hope you don't mind if I leave you alone," she says with a slight pout.

I wave it off. "No, it's okay. You go have fun splashing around," I grin. "I probably need to get some rest anyways."

Elsa nods and stands up from the metal chair, slowly pushing it back to its usual place. "I think the nurse said you can leave by tomorrow, unless you're still in bad shape."

I shrug, but wince as the pain ebbs back in. "I think I'll be fine. As I said, I'm quite resistant to pain, eh?" But that was lie. At least to physical suffering, not tattoos. Elsa giggles and walks back up to my side, bending down to peck a quick kiss to my lips. I smile at the sweet taste.

"Now you get better now," she says, walking toward the exit. "I'll see you later." She blows a kiss my way before slinking out of the room. I stare after her even when the door closes shut, leaving me alone in this cold, empty room. I sigh and roll on my good side, where I look towards the curtained-window. I'm afraid to go to sleep. What if another nightmare disrupts my dreams, turning them into an agonizing, hellish struggle? I shake the thought away and try to get all memories of the previous horrors. My eyes close and I hope for peaceful slumber to float my way.


	16. Chapter 16

**Elsa's POV**

The next day I walk to class alone. Jack hasn't texted me and I'm worried about him. I would at least expect him to drop by my dorm to reassure me of his recovery, but that hasn't happened floods my innards as I debate whether or not to go to the infirmary to see if he was still there. But as I check my phone for the time, I knew I would be late for Liberal Arts and Professor Weselton would not be too happy.

News of Jack and Pitch's brawl wafted throughout most of the academy like a wildfire. I still haven't seen Pitch around, and I suspect he's been expelled. But then again, I could wrong. I walk slowly down the pathway leading to the Jefferson Hall, my eyes trained on my sneakers, occasionally flickering to a pebble or strand of vegetation that have appeared out of nowhere along the path.

A gust of wind drifts on the air, blowing my hair across my face and sending goose bumps down my arms. I frustratingly run a hand through my disheveled hair and fix it back in place. The messenger bag hanging on my shoulder weighed me down with the power of many textbooks and binders. I heaved it back on whilst letting out a soft groan. I crossed my arms and watched a couple walk pass me, their hands interlocked and gazes focused lovingly at each other.

I felt utterly lonely without Jack or Anna or another friend by my side. Before I could turn the corner of one of the library buildings, a perky voice shrilled behind me.

"Elsa!" I looked back and saw Anna bounding toward me with a taller, shaggy-haired man following close on her heels. I recognized him immediately as Kristoff and smiled.

"Hey, sis," I say as she hooks an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a quick embrace.

"Why didn't you come see me this morning?" she says with wide teal eyes. Kristoff stands by her side and I briefly glance at him. He wears a pale red shirt with the Spider-Man insignia displayed on his chest, black jeans, and red and white sneakers. His blond hair peeked out in soft strands under a gray beanie and his light brown eyes sparkled beneath the thin beams of the early morning sunlight. His much taller stature contrasts perfectly to Anna's shorter height. I can't help but marvel at how cute they would together as a couple.

"Oh, sorry about that," I say and scratch the back of my neck. "I was in a bit of a hurry to get ready for class."

"That's understandable," Anna says with a small nod of her head. "How you heard from Jack yet?"

"No," I sigh with a slight fall of my shoulders. "I haven't heard from him since last night. I just hope he's okay…"

"Aw, well, I hope he is too," Anna gives me a cheerful smile and Kristoff nods in agreement, his lips lifting at the corners. I'm silent for a moment, my eyes shifting from the two of them, and a I grin devilishly.

"So, Anna," I lean in closer. "Did you dump Hans for a new boyfriend already?" Kristoff blushes and looks away, but Anna scowls angrily at me, her thin arms coming up to cross over her chest.

"No! Kristoff is just a friend, right?" She looks at the blond jock to her side and he nods uneasily, his cheeks still stained with the light crimson of embarrassment. "See?" Anna gives me an in-your-face look and swipes her strawberry blonde bangs off of her forehead. "Hans and I are still very much together."

"Then where is he?" I counter with my hands on my hips.

"He had to go to his history class early," Anna deadpanned with a pucker of her lips.

"Oh okay," I say with a smirk. I look at the time on my phone and my eyes widen as I learned that my class starts in less than ten minutes. "I better be going now."

"Yeah, we do too," Anna waves to me with a thin smile. "Let's go, Kris!" She grabs his elbow and tugs him away. I watch with a soft giggle as he stumbles after her while still managing to keep a grip on his bulky backpack. My spunky sister laughs as he loses his footing and nearly falls, but he jumps back up and mutters a playful retort. He then proceeds to chase her and she squeals with delight as she rushes away from him and out of my eyesight. I stare after them, a smile set upon my lips.

_Wow, they are meant for each other._

* * *

I arrive to class merely a few minutes before the lesson began. The students were already inside and seated, but the class as a whole looked smaller than yesterday. I forced myself to look towards the front row for Pitch, but he, to my relief, wasn't there. As my eyes swirled around the entire room, I realized he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Maybe he actually did get expelled.

I found an empty spot free of any other students near the front and settled down in one of the seats. I cranked my head around a full 360 degrees in hope that I would either see Jack seated somewhere else or walking in, but he still wasn't in sight. I sighed and dug a hand into my bag for my textbook and a writing utensil. I spotted Professor Weselton sauntering to the white board, his skinny arms rising and a thundering clap produced off as he smashed his palms together, immediately sending a wave of silence over the chattering students.

"Quiet now, class!" he projected his voice throughout the huge room. It was until now that I noticed he had a slight British accent. "Please get out your textbooks and turn to page 247."

I did as he told, but my gaze wandered to the empty seat next to me. Jack would always crack a joke or keep me company during this rather boring class. I shook the feeling off and slid out the retractable desk on my seat. I placed my opened textbook upon it and splayed my arms along the cool, smooth wood.

Professor Weselton rambled on about what we were going to discuss today and I listened in with attentiveness, silently hoping that his lecture will make me forget about my gnawing worries for Jack.

* * *

As class fell to an end, I quickly tried to scribble down all of the homework that was assigned in my planner. I'm going to be bombarded with work tonight, and I probably won't have any time to do any fun things, like hang out with my friends or go out with Jack whenever I find him. I fastened the buckle on my bag after I stuffed all of my supplies inside and stood up, stretching the stiff muscles in my legs. As I heaved my bag onto a shoulder, my eyes flickered down to Weselton who sat at his desk, grading papers while simultaneously looking at a laptop screen. I don't know how professors do it.

All through class a certain thought burned in my brain, and I pondered deeply about it as Weselton spoke to us about the importance of civil rights. It's a petty notion really, but I would like answers to it. I carefully stepped down the steep stairs leading to the bottom, steadying myself as my legs became wobbly due to the long exertion of sitting down for almost two hours.

"Mr. Weselton?" I called to him as I neared his desk, noting that it was already piled with stacks of papers and creamy orange folders.

"Can I help you, Miss Summers?" He asks without looking up from the paper that he was sloppily writing on. I'm surprised, maybe even content, that he knows my name, or at least my surname. Most of my previous professors didn't even attempt to learn all of their students' names. I assumed that they were just there to teach them, not to get to know them better.

"I have a small question," I say as I walk closer to his desk until I'm standing in front of him. "Do you know what happened to Pitch – I mean – Connor Black?"

Weselton raises his head from his grading, his beady eyes staring at me with sheer cynicism over the thick frames of his glasses. "Why do you want to know?" I gulp as panic falls into the pit of my stomach like a ball of ice. My palms become slick with sweat and I frantically rub them dry on the back of my jeans. I desperately hope he doesn't notice the uneasiness smeared all over my face, it can probably be seen in my eyes too, which grow wider by the second.

"I-I'm – uh – just curious, that's all," I give him a weak smile that I try to make believable.

"Well, Mr. Black – according to my records – has switched out of this class. I'm not sure where he is now." Weselton pursed his lips in concentration as he searched through his laptop. I felt a tremendous weight lift off of my shoulders, making me feel normal again, but only slightly.

"Okay. Did he get expelled?" I ask.

"I don't believe so," Fear overwhelms my mind, clouding my thinking and clear judgment. That sick being was _still at the academy._ I'm flabbergasted at how he managed to stay put, but overall, I'm relieved that he's not in my class anymore. "And yes," Weselton eyes me with understanding. "I've heard that Connor got into a fight. It was pretty bad from what I hear other students saying."

I bite my lower lip but say nothing.

_Good, he doesn't know it was Jack who Pitch got into a fight with._

"_And,"_ He raises a furry eyebrow at me. "I also heard that Mr. Frost was involved in the fight." My stomach drops and I feel my heart flutter with anxiety.

_Okay, maybe he does know._

"Yeah," I murmur unwillingly. "But Connor pushed him over the edge! Please don't expel him!" I clutch my hands close to my chest, my breathing becoming rapid and staccato.

"Don't worry, Elsa," he says with a soft smile. "I have no power to expel students, only the headmaster. And I believe you; Mr. Black did look like the kind of person to do that." I close my eyes and exhale a long breath. "Is Jack, by any chance, you're boyfriend?" he asks.

I nod and he leans back in his chair. "Ah, young love. It's a beautiful thing, really. I want you two to be happy, so in accordance to that, I won't kick him out of the class, or anything in that matter."

"Wow, thank you." I say with a smile.

"You're welcome. I just have one question: where is he right now?"

"He's still recovering from his injuries, or at least that's what I think." I say and look down at my shoes. There's a smudge of dirt on the tip and I rub it upon the rough, velvet carpet.

"Oh," Weselton looks down at his hands which are folded in his lap. "That's unfortunate. Well, give him my best on his recovery."

I bow my head and shoot him a smile. "Thank you, sir."

"I like you, Elsa. You seem like a very polite and well-behaved young lady. It's nice to see that among these rather brain-dead students. Anyways, I hope you don't mind but I have to get back to grading. You better scurry off to your next class." He says.

"Okay. See you tomorrow, Mr. Weselton." I turn on my heels and quickly walk out of the room, leaving him alone with the heap of ungraded papers.

* * *

After my Architecture class, I meet up with Anna and Kristoff for lunch at the cafeteria. Anna is her usual hyper self as she bounces alongside me, her twin braids whipping around her face. Kristoff walks on my other side, his steps smooth and much calmer than Anna's. The building where the food court resides comes into view and Anna skips ahead of us.

"Ooh! I'm going to on in and save us a table." She says without turning around to face us and races towards the entrance. Kristoff lets out a breathy chuckle.

"She's very energetic, huh?" he says with a sweet smile. I roll my eyes and huff exasperatedly.

"You have _no_ idea… Is there a reason why she's so excited right now? Did she get an A on a test or something?" I ask and look at Kristoff from the side. His scruffy golden hair gleams under the afternoon sunlight with such radiance, looking almost like a halo. It looks like the mane of a great and powerful lion preparing to take down his prey.

He laughs lowly. "Oh, no, we were assigned a project in music class."

"Really? A project already? Wow…" I say.

"Yeah, but music is the easiest thing you'll ever take. The project is basically we pair of with someone else and sing a duet for the class," Kristoff explains.

"I'm guessing you paired up with Anna, then?" I smirk at him and I see the faint blush creep on his cheeks.

"Yup," He peers at me, his lips curling into a rather vague grin. "Um – can I tell you something kind of personal?" He rubs the back of his neck uncomfortably as if he's unsure about spilling the words out of his mouth, and he's worried what my reaction will be.

"Of course," I say in a soft tone.

"Please don't tell Anna this – or anyone for the matter of fact – but – " He sucks in a painful breath. "I like Anna, and I mean _like-like_."

"Oh…" I trail off and press my lips together, my gaze penetrating into the paved ground.

"Now I know, she already has a boyfriend, but I just thought I had to tell you and get it out of my system," he says and looks down longingly.

I smile and touch his arm, which is twice the size of my own hand. "It's okay. You don't have to be ashamed about your feelings. It's completely normal."

"Thanks, Elsa," he smiles warmly at me. "I just hope Hans doesn't find out or he will kill me," A forced puff of laughter escapes his partially open lips, which then become pursed together.

"Pfft, I bet you can take him on," I jokingly say with a smirk. "You're like three times his size anyways." Kristoff chortles, a deep and gentle sound that is like freshly-made honey dripping down from the honeycomb of a beehive.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," he says as we close in on the entrance to the cafeteria and step in. There is barely a line going up the staircase and I'm satisfied to see this. I begin climbing the stairs with Kristoff at my side. "You go on ahead and find Anna," he remarks. "I'll pay for our meals."

"Oh, really?" I say, stopping on a stair and watching him continue ascending. "Thank you." He looks back and smiles, his head dipping in approval. I fly up the last remaining stairs, while giving Kristoff a pat of gratitude on the shoulder, and walk into the food court area. Many sets of metal tables with chairs and clothed booths sprawled all around the large room. Students were seated in various spots, eating or just talking with one another.

The actual food court sat on the other side. Hole in the walls of different restaurants that served a wide range of food buzzed with activity. The aroma of grilling burgers nipped the insides of my nose and my stomach protested tremendously. I just now noticed that I was starving. But first, I have to find Anna, wherever she may be. My eyes scanned around for the lively strawberry-blonde, but then I think I spot her sitting a bit away at a booth. Her head peeks up from behind the cushion, turned around from me, and I see that she's talking with someone.

_That's weird. I don't remember anyone else coming with us. I wonder who it is._

I walk to her, my eyes looking down at my feet that take steady strokes forward. As I near the booth, I glance up at the last moment. My eyes meet icy blue ones that are so familiar and beloved to me. His lip is marred by the gruesome split, and yet he still smiles as if his life depended on it. His face, bruised and splotched at some parts, lightens up at the very sight of me. A pale scratch is visible cutting from his hairline to his temple. It all looks painful, but he radiates as bright as the sun with joy.

His name slips off my lips, as soft as a whisper, like it was something on a sacred scroll.

_Jack…_


	17. Chapter 17

The feeling of pure happiness enraptures me at the sight of Jack. My heart quickens in pace as his charming blue orbs skim over me, the sparkle in his irises beckoning me to come on over. I quickly scurry over without hesitance and plop myself in the booth next to him. His arms wrap around me before I can even bring them up, and I lean into his larger form, closing my eyes and sighing as alleviation washes over me. All of my worries subside like sugar dissolving in a cup of steaming tea.

I breath in Jack's scent; it's a mingle of rubbing alcohol and faint cologne. The antiseptic agent that masks his cuts and scrapes nips the inside of my nose with sourly teeth, but I push the smell away like a boulder off of a cliff. My mind is set on one thing and that only: Jack is okay. _He is okay._ The simple sentence echoes throughout my head, bouncing off of the thick walls of my skull and penetrating my brain as if it was the knowledge in a book.

I expect him to shower me in kisses, to place his sweet lips upon mine so that I could taste him again. But then I remember; he has that stinging split that has yet to fully heal. Another idea flares in my mind and I kiss him on the cheek that was free of any wounds or painful infliction. He looks down at me as if this was the very first time that I had kissed him. The uttermost astonishment smears his face. I can tell he's just now feeling the passion that I gave him. Ever since being in the infirmary and racked by injuries, plagued by what I think are nightmares, he is now opening up again to my affection. It's an expression flooding with benevolent love and devotion, something I would never trade for anything in the world. He is mine and I am his.

He smiles down at me, his pearly teeth nearly camouflaged by his pale complexion, and nuzzles my cheek with his nose. I giggle lightly at his adorable gesture and give him another kiss, this time on the tip of his nose. He smiles again without saying a word and drapes his arm loosely around my waist, his hand ever-so-slightly gripping at my hip with a delicate touch.

"Aww, oh my gosh, you two are just too cute!" Anna squeals, her hands tugging at her twin braids. The last time I saw her pull on her own hair in excitement like this would be whenever she gained a follower on Tumblr or when a new episode to her favorite TV show would come out. Both of which were rather pathetic reasons, but it was still funny to see her all thrilled.

"We know," I respond to Anna's outburst with a smirk. I return my gaze to Jack and say, "How are you doing?" His shoulders lift slightly in a doubtful way, and I see him wince at perhaps a sudden pain from the movement, but his eyes flash to mine, glistening with fairness that looks almost unreal.

"I've been better," he says and swirls the glass of soda upon the table in front of him. The bubbly liquid is a dark brown, and I'm guessing that it is around the Coke or Pepsi range. His fingers retract from the glass, shining with droplets of condensed water. "But I don't hurt as much as I did yesterday."

"That's good," I say with a smile. "I actually have some good news that I found out today,"

"What is that?" Jack asks and his head dips down so that he could take a sip from the red straw leading into his drink.

"Apparently Pitch switched out of our Liberal Arts class." Jack reacts by jerking back upright, a thin trickle of soda dribbling over his lips and down his chin. He hisses lowly as the soda disturbs the split on his lip and his hand comes up to cover it. I swat his hand away and instinctively pick up a napkin, dabbing softly at the liquid trail on his mouth.

"Pfft, sorry," he says apologetically as I finish up. "I'm happy he's out of our class and all, but did he get expelled?"

I shake my head solemnly and Jack mutters a curse. "Yeah, I know," I look down at my hands clasped in my lap.

"So that bastard's still stalking around here, huh?" Jack's blue eyes are now fiery with anger, and they stare intensely at the bottom of his glass.

"Unfortunately," I say with a huff of annoyance. "But I haven't seen him anywhere ever since yesterday. Maybe he has decided to leave us alone."

Jack shook his head, the tousled spikes of his moonlight white hair bobbing in a disorderly fashion. "He doesn't give up that easily. I just now he'll be coming back around, but when exactly?"

I rest my head on his shoulder, careful not to apply too much pressure to hurt him. I look over at Anna who is too immersed in her phone on her lap to keep up with what we were discussing. Occasionally she would giggle at something, and her hand would come to hover over her pink lips.

"What are you laughing at, Anna?" I ask my sister, completely dropping the subject about Pitch.

"Oh, nothing," she dreamily sighs. "I'm just texting Hans." I roll my eyes and exhale irritably. Jack just chuckles at my behavior. Like an alarm went off in her head, Anna perked up, her eyes immediately ungluing from her phone screen. "Oh! I just remembered. Do you know where Kristoff is?"

"He went to pay for our meals." I say.

"Ooh, really? How sweet of him," Anna's eyelashes flutter, her sea-green eyes staring up toward the ceiling. I swear I see a spark of love in her diverted gaze, but it extinguishes like the last remaining embers of a campfire in the daylight. "I better go check on him. I'm also going to get some food in the meantime. Yum!" She jumps out of the booth and dashes away. I watch as she scuttled away with a cute little skip in between every few steps.

"Do you want to get something to eat?" I turn back face Jack who is distracted by a blue packet of sugar, in which he prods at aimlessly. His eyes roll up to focus on me; the twinkle of playfulness in his deep blues was now familiar to me, a typical sign of affection from the lovable boy.

"Of course," he says and I slide out of the cushiony booth, and then wait for him to get out. His fingers inch toward mine, the cool skin of his brushing against mine and blending to create a sensational feeling. I grab his hand and entwine my fingers with his like the hairs to my braid. We walk to the food court, all while in silence.

* * *

After lunch, the four of us, me, Jack, Anna, and Kristoff, all walk back to the Crystal dormitory for some rest and relaxation. I pace next to Jack, our hands once again twisted together. We transfer warmth between each other with our tightened grip, and I press myself against him, urging to feel his pulsing muscles as they stretch and retract to his every movement. Anna and Kristoff walk alongside each to my left. They trade words in hushed voices and I can't really pick out what they're discussing.

I glance over to see Kristoff moving casually, his hands jammed in his pockets and his head bobbing at whatever Anna says. The trace of a smile appears on his lips as she tells him something else. Anna bounces next to him like an overexcited colt as it runs freely over an open meadow for the first time. I notice a certain someone is missing in this scene, and I grin a little.

"Hey, Anna," I call to my sister. She peers around Kristoff's larger stature, her eyes wide with sincerity. "Where's Hans?" I ask the question with a lick of venom. Perhaps she really did break up with him, or she just has an undeniable bond to Kristoff that resists the eagerness to see her actual boyfriend.

Anna's face sinks, with a small scowl creasing on her brow. "He had a ton of homework to do, so he couldn't come have lunch with us. Oh! That reminds me," She whips out her phone and slides it open. "I'm going to text him to meet me at my dorm so we can hang out. That's if he's done with his work."

Kristoff looks down, his eyes glistening with sorrow and his lip pouting slightly. My mind races back to earlier today when he told me about his feelings for Anna. My heart aches for him; it's really tough to witness the person you love be with someone else. I placed a hand on his arm and he looked down upon me, the corners of his mouth curving upwards. Jack gave me a look and arched an eyebrow.

"Just so you know, Kristoff likes Anna," I whispered into his ear, low enough to be inaudible to both Kristoff and Anna.

"Really? You mean, like-like?" Jack murmured questionably and I nodded. "Ah, wow, didn't know he had it in him." He smiles and I choke back a laugh that was bubbling up my throat.

We near the dormitory and Anna races up the steps ahead of us. "I'm going to meet up with Hans with in the lobby," She turns back to face us, jabbing her thumb toward the entrance.

"What are you two going to do?" I spoke up before she could bolt inside.

"Oh, well, we're going into Times Square for some shopping and maybe catch a movie," she says with a hint of incitement. I'm silent for a moment, studying her wide teal eyes and freckled face. A crease is visible on her forehead as she shoots me an exasperated look.

"Yeah, yeah," I wave her off and close my eyes, not bothering to look at her. "Okay, that's fine."

"Alright, see you guys later! Bye Kristoff!" She especially waves goodbye to the bulky blond who responds with a little twitch of his fingers. He's happy that she waved to him particularly, but heartbroken that she's leaving, abandoning him to go hang out with a different guy. My sister darts through the doors, nearly colliding with a man who's making his way, but she jumps back and apologizes in a frantic manner. I roll my eyes at her clumsiness and the remaining three of us climb up the stairs and into the building.

"Jack?" Kristoff glances at the white-haired boy to my side while scratching at the thin stubble on his chin. "Do you want to play some video games with me up in our dorm? I think Hiccup's still in his mythology class so I'll be lonely," He looks down and jams the toe of his shoe into the marbled floor.

"Sure, buddy," Jack goes over and claps the taller boy on the back. "You don't mind, Elsa?"

I shake my head and smile. "No, you boys have fun. I have to do homework anyways."

"Okay! Come on, Jack, let's go kill some zombies," Kristoff begins making his way to the elevator, but Jack stays behind for a minute, a responsive call of approval projecting from his mouth to his roommate. He looks back to me, his finger gently caressing my neck. I shiver as electrifying pricks shoot from my neck all the way down to the rest of my body.

"I'll see you soon," he says and I respond with a kiss to his cheek. He slightly blushes and leans in to touch his forehead to mine. We stay like that for a moment before he pulls apart and walks away to the elevator. He doesn't look back, but I stare at him anyways, contemplating over the wrinkled fabric of his dark blue shirt that moves with each step he took. My gaze averts and instead I look over to my right, where the lobby resides.

There, standing behind one of the couches overlooking the television, is Anna and Hans currently caught in a heated lip-lock. I scoff irritably and turn my eyes to the ground, focusing them on a single line split between tiles. I'm tempted to march over there and tear the apart, but I stay rooted in the floor. Anna said she was going shopping with Hans, not make out with him in the middle of the lobby with a dozen innocent bystanders watching.

I'm just about to go over to the elevator, but a voice shouts for me from behind. It sounds masculine with a tinge of a higher-pitch set to it, and the voice secretes the distraught tone of fear and worry. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn around, eyes widened and jaw clenched, to see a man. He's not too young, but not too old either. He looks to be in his mid-twenties with glossy light brown hair brushed back flawlessly and pale green eyes covered by glasses. He wore typical professor attire: white buttoned-down shirt, blue tie, black pants, shiny black shoes, and there even was a pen placed in the breast pocket of his shirt.

My mouth opens to question who he was, but he speaks first. "Are you Elsa Summers?" He sounds frantic, and there's a thin film of sweat masking his forehead as if he ran for a good distance.

"Um, yes," I choke out, fearful that he was going to cut me off in a fit of anxiety.

"What about your sister, Anna Summers?" he asks, his eyes flickering from my one eye to the other. He trembles slightly. I notice his hand is still clutching my shoulder, fingernails digging lightly into the flesh. I want to smack him off, but his burning gaze keeps me frozen.

"She's over there - " I point to the strawberry-blonde _still_ making out with Hans. I sigh in annoyance. "- but what do you want?" I ask the man, raising my voice to a serious and intimidating level.

"Something has happened," he responds in a raspy tone. "We must hurry to the headmaster's office. Please, get your sister." He begs and I reluctantly nod. My legs propel them towards Anna without me even thinking. They feel like jelly under every shaky step I take. What does he mean? Something has happened? Questions bounce around in my head, leaving behind dents in the form of frustrating aches. Fear boils in the pit of my stomach like dry noodles in a kettle of steaming water. It gradually rises to the upper parts of me, filling me with the greatest of all paranoia.

I grab Anna's arm, yanking her away from Hans. She yelps in protest but I pull her harder until she stands to my side.

"What the hell, Elsa?" She straightens up and looks me dead in the eye.

"Please, you two," The man intervenes between us and grasps both of our elbows with rough, slightly sweaty hands. Anna gives a face of shock, but she keeps silent. "We must see the headmaster. There has been an accident."

"An accident?" Anna murmurs but I nudge her in the side with a knuckle. She looks to me and I shake my head as if to say 'don't talk'. The man leads us outside, where he releases his grip on us and gestures to follow him. He walks at a rapidly fast pace and we have to literally run to keep alongside him. We move in silence the entire time, probably because Anna is mentally thinking to herself what's going on and the man is in his own lunacy world. I'm on the same page as Anna: confused, disoriented, and overall worried.

When he mentioned 'accident' I instantly thought of my parents or any other member of my family. What if something terrible took place? A car crash, a fire ravaging the house, a sudden, life-threatening illness? I push away the thoughts and keep up with the man as he thrusts open the door to a large, royal-looking building. This is where the headmaster's office is, and where he does his duties as the 'principal' of this academy. I've only been in here a few times, and that was only to fill out applications for a class or club.

"This way," he speaks after the silence that descended over us like a shadow during the frustratingly fast walk. He pushes through a door that labels_ Headmaster_ in bold letters. The room I step in is small, yet spacious. There's a desk in the middle, elegantly neat and covered with a few papers here and there with pens dappled among the organized pile. A dark glassy plague stands with the name _Landon Jepson_ imprinted across it. I have heard that name passed around the campus like a flyer in the wind. Landon is notorious for being generally kind and genuine, unlike other headmasters you may meet.

He sits behind his desk with his head bowed and hands clasped on the tabletop before him. His salt-and-pepper hair gleams dimly in the slivers of sunlight that poked through the maroon curtains of the windows. There is a long adorned drapery hanging behind him with the academy's insignia stitched onto it: an F and A melted together in fancy golden letters and a green-skinned dragon swirling in the background. I try to focus on the symbolic drape rather than Landon's expressionless face that is pale with anguish.

The man that escorted us here steps out of the room, gently closing the door behind him with a soft click.

"Did you need something, Mr. Jepson?" I ask with a quivering tone that wavers in and out of normality to distress. Landon sighs, swiping a hand over his weary face and briefly rubbing his dark eyes that look watery and red, at least that's what I think from standing a bit away. Anna slides closer to me until her shoulder brushes mine. We breathe as one in silence as we await Landon's response.

"I have grave news," he says and directs his gaze upon the two of us. His reading glasses slip down the bridge of his nose to reveal brown eyes full to the brim with grief.

"Your parents were killed in a car accident."


	18. Chapter 18

_**You're not alone**_

_**I'll listen till your tears give out**_

_**You're safe and sound, I swear that I won't let you down**_

_**What's hurting you I, I feel it too**_

_**I mean it when I say**_

_**When you cry, I cry with you, with you**_

_**Cry With You - Hunter Hayes**_

* * *

I stood still, frozen in time, trying to comprehend the exact words that spilled over Landon's lips. The very sentence tattooed itself across my brain, echoing throughout my mind as I tried to separate reality from the surreal dream that I believed I was in._ "Your parents were killed in a car accident." _They were killed, they're _dead._ I was speechless, horrified, actually. I stumbled backwards until my back pressed into the wall behind me. There was a wooden dresser to my right and my hand gripped the edge to steady myself.

The world around me was spinning, a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes dizzying me as my eyes sweep around the room hectically. My parents were gone. They were ripped from life in the claws of death, never to see the shining faces of real people or the magical wonders of the outdoors again. Confusion, anger, and solemnity swirled around in my stomach as if it was a heated potion ready to explode at any moment.

This can't be real. This must be a joke, a sick, gruesome lie that was meant to make a laugh, but instead made me feel like there were acidic tendrils gnawing through my heart. Anna remained standing where I last left her. She was motionless, occasionally trembling as a quake of aghast rippled through her body. Her hands were set by her side, fingers locked into fists that burned with white knuckles.

"I'm terribly sorry," Landon's voice rumbled through the deafening silence that had fallen upon us. He bowed his head slightly, his fingers poking at a pen that rested next to a stack of papers. My eyes pierced into the blue velvet carpet, struggling to focus clearly as tears blurred my vision. A dull ache slices my forehead and I touch a shaky finger to it, hoping the coolness of my skin will numb it.

"How?" I step forward, forcing my voice to break apart the choking sob in my throat.

"We received a call that your parents were involved in a freak accident about an hour ago," Landon speaks softly, his resonance mildly monotone.

"_How?_" I repeat the word again, this time louder and with more emphasis. I walk back next to Anna, draping a comforting arm around the younger girl's shoulders as tears begin spilling down her cheeks. She leans into me and I smash my cheek onto the top of her head, rubbing her back gently as she quietly cries. Her tears stain my baby blue sweater, but I disregard the fact of it.

"I know you both are upset, and I understand," Landon stands up from his desk and walks around it, his steps slow yet thundering. "Your parents were killed by a drunk driver."

So this wasn't a dream, or some grotesque prank. It was all legitimate, and far too real. The truth struck me like a freight train. I tugged Anna closer against me, stroking her strawberry-blonde locks that tickled my nose. I awaited my own tears to come, but they didn't. They swelled in my eyes, but never ran down.

"Did he die?" I ask, not bothering to explain in further detail. I was plagued by so many memories and reflections that I could barely think correctly. My parents' faces, warm and smiling, flash through my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried not to wail in agony. I felt the warm dampness as the tears decided to spill over.

"The drunkard? I don't believe so. But he did get arrested from what I've heard," Landon takes off his reading glasses and wipes them on his shirt.

So the man responsible for my parents' deaths didn't die. He should have. No one, and I mean_ no one_, has the right, not even some pissed-drunk ass, to take the lives away from such innocent people. My parents were always good to me: offering advice, encouragement, and the utmost love whenever I needed it. But now they were dead and gone, and there was nothing more I could do about it. I pondered about revenge. Hunting down this foolish man and ruining every inch of his life sounded exhilarating, maybe even amusing. I could be like a vigilante, but alas, I am not that kind of girl, nor will I ever be.

My thoughts suddenly race to Jack. I need to get to him, to feel his arms wrap around me, soothing me and telling me everything is alright, even though it's not. I let go of Anna and step away from her. Her arms hang in midair as if she was holding an invisible person, and her gaze shoots to me, teal eyes pale and flooding with tears. Without another glance back, I turn around and yank the door open, running out as if I was being chased. I ignore Anna's pleas and Landon's calls as I dash out of the building.

The sun sits low on the horizon, slowly sliding downwards as time ticks by and dusk approaches. The sunlight blinds me and I cover my eyes with a hand, opening my fingers so that I could peer through the slits. I jog at an irregular pace, picking up speed at some points then slowing down clumsily. Students walking opposite of me on the pathway stare with baffled eyes, but I neglect their trespassing gazes by shutting mine in attempt to block everything out.

The Crystal dormitory comes in view and I blindly scurry up the steps and into the building. I decide to take the stairs since going in the elevator would require standing still and having other people stare at me as if I was some foreign object. I quickly head towards the stairs and, since not many people use them, they are empty. I run up them, listening in on my footsteps that pound against the concrete and send echoes vibrating into my eardrums. The second floor door greets me and I push it open, sliding into the hallway with precise speed.

Young men crawl throughout the hall, going into dorm rooms or just loitering. I reach the door to my right, which is gratefully next to the staircase. I stand in front of the door and lay a hand on the smooth wood. I want to knock on the door, maybe even pound with all my might. I want Jack to know I'm here, that I desperately need him. My fingernails dig into the wooden surface, leaving behind tiny incisions that sting my nails as I press harder.

I clutch that hand into a fist and knock, rather hard too since the door rattles slightly. On the other side I hear a pair of male voices, chorusing into a blend of triumph hoots and calls as if they won a round at a video game or something. I hear a standalone voice, this time more recognizable; it is Jack's.

"Aw, really? Why don't you get the door, Kris? You're much closer." I hear him say.

"Come on, Frosty, I won the last match, so why'd don't you get it? The loser has to obey the victor's commands anyways." Kristoff responds.

"Where did you learn that?" Jack says with a tinge of annoyance to his voice.

"Just get the damn door."

There's an exasperated sigh and I hear Jack's footsteps growing closer and louder to where I stand. My breath hitches in my throat, but I feel the burn of tears on the verge of spilling over. I clench my fists and bite the inside of my cheek, struggling to hold them back, but they stream down just as the door opens.

Jack stands there wearing the same clothes from earlier today, but he's now barefoot. His eyes widen and his shoulders sag as he sees me in this miserable condition.

"Elsa?" he says but I have already flung myself into him, my arms curling around his torso. He grunts with surprise, but it could've been pain as I pressed into his bruises. He doesn't complain about it, though; he just wraps his arms around me, holding me into a warm embrace. "Oh my God, what happened?" he asks in a terrified tone, but I just shake my head, refusing to even think about talking.

He pulls me away from the doorway and closes the door. Kristoff notices what has been going on and jumps up from the couch, throwing his gaming controller onto the cushion. He walks to us, but Jack holds out an arm to stop him in place.

"She needs her space," Jack says and Kristoff respectfully nods. He goes back to sit on the couch, but doesn't continue playing his game. "Come over here," Jack softly tells me and he guides me over to a single-headed bed in the corner with blue sheets and a snowy pillow. There was a large poster plastered on the wall above the bed; it displays a hooded man with a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other, facing an onslaught of what look to be pirates. Above the picture is the title _Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag._ I don't understand one bit of it. Perhaps it's a video game? But as I stare at the poster, a faint smile curves on my lips. Jack's gamer personality had always made me laugh, even though I don't possess that specific skill for video games.

Jack sits on the edge of the bed and I join him to his side. My leg drapes over his lap and I keep my arms against my chest as he wraps his own around me.

"Now will you tell me what's wrong?" he mumbles as he presses his lips to my neck. I smile a little as his kiss brings a bit more lively warmth to my cold and shriveling body. But the smile fades, replaced by shaking lips accompanied by a flow of tears that seem never-ending. I burrow my face into his chest and he strokes my hair.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," he shushes me in delicate voice that would shatter like glass under a simple impact. I let out another sob, choking on air as it ravages my lungs. I always hated crying, especially around other people. It sounded ugly, like a dying cat, but Jack didn't seem fazed by it. He nuzzled the side of my face, placing a light kiss on my temple. "Please, Elsa," he whispered and I looked into his blue eyes. I felt comforted at how peaceful and bright they appeared. "Just tell me what's bothering you,"

"M-my-" I struggled to put together a string of words, to make it at least understandable. "My parents…" I sucked in another shaky breath. "…are dead."

Jack went still, his muscles rigid under me. He was silent, except for the slow breaths that he took in, and I closed my eyes as his chest heaved in and out against my back.

"What? But how?" He spoke in a low voice coated in disbelief.

"It was a car accident…" I say and burrow myself into him, breathing in his sweet, slightly musky smell. I feel his arms tighten around me and he sniffs, as if he was about to cry.

"I'm so sorry," he says and I shake my head, running a finger along the soft fabric of his jeans.

"It's not your fault." I murmur and wipe my eyes with the sleeve of my sweater. Jack reaches over and grabs something off of the tabletop next to the bed. It's a tissue box and he snatches a few tissues from it, handing it to me. "Thanks," I say with a small smile and dry the wet trails on my cheeks.

"Do you need some time alone?" he asks in a tone so gentle and tender that it melts my heart.

I shake my head, clutching him close to me. "No, can you stay, with me?"

He smiles and rests his chin on top of my head. "Always."

There's a sudden knock on the door and neither Jack nor I budge to go answer it. To our relief, Kristoff stands up to get it, not saying a word or uttering a sound as he did so. He opened the door and Anna stumbles in, one hand covering her mouth and the other limp at her side. I was inclined to ask her why she didn't run to Hans for comfort, why she came here instead, but I'm silent as I watch her fling her slender arms around Kristoff's broad shoulders.

He's clearly surprised, taking a few steps as he regains the strength to support the crying girl in his arms.

"Anna," he says her name lowly, but instead moves her over to the couch so they both are seated. It seems Kristoff didn't overhear me talking about my parents' deaths, and he's just as clueless to Anna's sobbing as Jack was to mine. Anna buries her face into her hands, crying softly as Kristoff lays a hand on her shoulder, murmuring words in a mellow tone.

I tear my gaze from the two of them and redirect to Jack's hand that lies on top of mine. I move it a little and he curls his fingers into mine. I smile and lean back into him, closing my eyes and allowing Anna's muffled sobs and Kristoff's delicate wordings to lead me into a placid trance.


	19. Chapter 19

**~ One month later ~**

**Jack's POV**

Days passed by, followed by weeks, and then a month since the somber news of Elsa and Anna's parents' deaths were first revealed. The two sisters have, slowly, recovered from the depression that overwhelmed them after the tragedy. I have noticed a change in Elsa, however. She seems more reserved, more independent, and leans away from the gentle affection that I offer her. It makes my heart throb to see her in this condition.

Anna has been the same as well. She is still very much in a relationship with Hans, but they have grown distant, not seeing each other as often as either would like. Kristoff has tried comforting her as best as he could suffice, but she pushes him away. My blond-haired roommate still holds her dear to his heart, a love that would never extinguish no matter what they go through – and to his unlikeliness, just as friends.

As the weekend drew near, I knew I had to take Elsa out for good time. And by that, I mean possibly going out for dinner at one of her favorite restaurants or a night away at a club. Either way, she needs some cheering up, along with a trace of fun sprinkled back into her life. I was the harbinger of such things, and I was determined to be her redemption out of the sorrow that grapples at her heartstrings.

My Literature class ended with a bore, and the professor just had to assign homework, on a Friday too. I slid the papers into my binder – allowing my eyes to graze over the printed words full of analyzing and comprehension – and stuffed the remainder of my supplies into my backpack. I heaved the bag onto a shoulder and started making my way out of the building. My steps to the outside were slow, rather sluggish, and I squinted as the sunlight assaulted my vision that was so use to the dim lights of my classroom.

The flashes of dark in my eyesight faded and I kept my head ducked, staring over the shadow I produced. It grew taller with each stride I made forward, looking more like a menacing beast than an ordinary shape of black against the lighted pavement. I close my eyes and shake my head around roughly as the image of a particular person's face appears in my mind. It is a face that has been embedded in my brain for quite a while now but has never been freed from its cage to wander my thoughts accordingly.

_Pitch. _The idea of his name burns like vile in my throat. I have not seen him around at all. For the past month, it's seems that he had almost disappeared, just vanished off of the face of the earth like a ghost. I assumed he had been expelled or exiled from this very place, never to return again. I tried to wipe my memory of him, but he always pops up at the most random times. I've seen him in my dreams, oddly, which then sink into nightmares and I jolt awake at night, coated in a terrible cold sweat.

I tap my temple with a knuckle as if to literally knock the thoughts out of my head. I don't want to think about Pitch right now. I have other greater things on my mind. My feet took me up the steps of the Crystal dormitory and I quickly climbed up the staircase to my dorm, not bothering to take the elevator. My room was directly to my right and as I reached out for the doorknob, I heard music playing on the other side. Was Kristoff blaring rock music again? I couldn't stand when he did that. Not that I disliked the genre or anything, I just hated how he would crank it up to the highest volume.

But as I strained my ears to listen more closely, holding back my hand from opening the door, I realized it was the sound of a strumming guitar. The chords of the instrument were subtle, barely even audible, but that I might just be because I'm listening through a door. I shrink closer to the wooden barrier, nearly putting my ear onto the surface. The guitar converts into a much broader string of notes, and I immediately recognize the tune. _No way. _I anticipate the moment where they start singing, and to my relief, a male voice, who I presume is Kristoff, begins the song:

_All I am is a man_

_I want the world in my hands_

_I hate the beach_

_But I stand_

_In California with my toes in the sand_

A feminine voice, high yet sweet, joins him and sings the next verse with much ease and skill. I realize it was Anna.

_Use the sleeves of my sweater_

_Let's have an adventure_

_Head in the clouds but my gravity's centered_

_Touch my neck and I'll touch yours_

_Me and my little high-waisted shorts, oh_

The two voices harmonize together into a heavenly blend that vibrates through the door, sending an electric tingle upon my ear.

_You know what I think about_

_And what I think about_

_One love, two mouths_

_One love, one house_

_No shirt, no blouse_

_Just us, you find out_

_Nothing that I wouldn't wanna tell you about, no_

'_Cause it's too cold_

_For you here and now_

_So let me hold_

_Both your hands in the holes of my sweater_

**(A/N: The song is Sweater Weather by The Neighborhood)**

The singing and music stop abruptly, replaced by normal chatter between Kristoff and Anna. I frown slightly; I knew that wasn't the end of the song. But possibly they were just pausing to fix something or talk about a subject out of the ordinary. I stand there, my body semi-pressed into the door, stunned by the musical performance that I secretly witnessed beforehand. I had no idea that either of them could sing, especially Kristoff! Wow, maybe he could teach me a few things about singing.

My hand encloses around the doorknob and I open the door. As I step in, I see Kristoff sitting on the couch, a guitar snuggled under an arm, and Anna next to him. Their heads perk up, eyes transfixed on me as I make my presence known. Kristoff looks slightly embarrassed, a light shade of red painting his cheeks, and Anna appears the same as usual, bright and bubbly.

"Why so quiet all of a sudden?" I say with a smirk.

"Did you…hear us singing?" Kristoff asks, his honey brown eyes wide and glistening with bashfulness.

"Why yes," I remark. "Don't be ashamed, you guys sounded amazing."

"Really?" Anna jumps from the couch, leaving a flustered Kristoff behind with a crinkle on his forehead. "Thanks!"

"No problem," I walk over to my bed and plop my backpack down on it. "Is that for your music project?"

"Yeah," Kristoff places his guitar to the side and reaches over to grab bottle of water on the coffee table. "It's due on Monday of next week. Damn, I'm nervous…"

"Don't be!" Anna looks at him, a delicate smile placed upon her lips. She turns back to face me. "We've been rehearsing for a quite a while now. Kristoff is just a scaredy-cat overall."

"Hey!" Kristoff scowls her way and she returns it with a stuck-out tongue. His face softens as a moment dissolves away, leaving a warm sparkle in his eyes.

"Anyways, do you where Elsa is? I haven't heard from her all day," Anna pouts slightly, her hands resting upon her hips. I shrug and frown, but as I did, my hand slides into my pocket and I pull out my phone, my thumb immediately sliding over to enter the passcode and unlock it. I should text Elsa and see what's she up to.

"No, I haven't seen her either," I say as I tap on her contact. "I'm going to text her now and see if she can come over." Anna bobs her head in agreement and goes back over to the couch to sit with Kristoff. He now has the guitar back into his hands, and he strums a few soft chords to his amusement.

_Jack – Hey babe :) what's up?_

I pressed the send button and placed my phone back into the pocket of my hoodie. I really hope she responds. She's usually good at that, but lately it's been wavering thin ever since the awful incident that shattered her and Anna's world. I would expect her to be better by now. Her own sister is looking healthy so that is a positive aspect. My phone gives off a cheery ring, signaling that a new text has come in. My innards prickle with happiness as I take the piece of technology back out and see that Elsa has responded.

_Elsa – Hey! ;) I just got out of class and I'm heading to my dorm. Wbu?_

I grinned as I typed down my response.

_Jack – Chilling with Kristoff and Anna. Do you want to come by my dorm?_

_Elsa – Sure! I'll be right there :)_

I put the phone away and rub my hands together. "Okay, Elsa's on her way right now." I say and walk around the couch to the small kitchen where we store all of our food and drinks. I open the refrigerator and look through the various choices, debating if I'm in the mood for a root beer or sweet tea.

"Okay!" Anna stands back up from the couch and makes her way to where I am – to most likely look for a drink as well – but she stops in her tracks and digs around in the pocket of her skinny jeans. I silently watch her as she looks at the screen of her phone. Her hand shoots up to clasp over her mouth and she bounces up and down in joy. I'm about to ask her what happened, but Kristoff turns around on the couch to give her a perplexed look.

"What is it?" he asks in a low, slightly curious voice.

"Hans invited me to his fraternity's party tonight!" she exclaims and runs around the room like a rambunctious five-year-old. I'm bewildered as I close the refrigerator door, completely forgetting to pick out a drink. Fraternity parties are always the worst kind of parties. It's nothing but alcohol, drugs, and drunken guys running around the yard naked. I have been to a few in my past, and I don't think I ever would like to go back again.

Before any of us could speak another word, there was a soft knock at the door and it opened halfway. Elsa's head pops out from behind, her platinum locks tied back into a ponytail with a few straggling strands. Her blue eyes dart around and as they fixate on me, a gleaming smile grows upon her magenta lips. My heart flutters sheepishly at her beauty that radiates into the room like a thousand shining stars. We may have been dating for over a month by now, but she still gives me that warm sensation in my chest whenever I lay eyes on her.

"Hi Elsa!" Anna runs over and gives her sister a quick side-hug while her other hand grips her phone. "Guess what?!"

Elsa is taken aback by Anna's sudden burst of excitement, but she chuckles and says, "What is it?"

"I'm going to a fraternity party tonight!" The strawberry-blonde does a small twirl and clutches her hands into fists. The expression on Elsa's face turns from affectionate to appall in an instant, like the snap of someone's fingers. I walk closer to her until I'm standing before the two sisters, but neither acknowledges my movement toward them.

"Wait, what?" Elsa raised an eyebrow, suspicious coating her fair face. I notice she's not wearing any makeup, and I bask in her natural gorgeous features, a small grin tugging at the corners of my lips.

"Well," Anna nervously hugs her hands to her chest. "Hans' fraternity is having a party tonight and he invited me." She bit her lip as if anticipating on how Elsa will react.

"Hold up," Kristoff interrupts and we all cast our gazes to him. "Isn't he part of the Alpha Phi Omega?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" Anna demands with a moue creeping up onto her face. Kristoff snickers softly and he takes the time to rake a hand through his messy blond hair.

"That fraternity is notorious for having rowdy parties. Like _really_ bad parties. There's a lot of booze and drugs involved. Oh, and should I mention the occasional sexual assault?" Kristoff speaks as if honey was gliding along his tongue, smoothly and persuasive. There is a glint of satisfactory in his eye as if he's certain Elsa was going to prevent Anna from going. I can tell he cares deeply for her.

"_What?"_ Elsa spits the word out like poison. "Is all of that true or are you just pulling on my leg, Kristoff?" The blond jock nods his head slowly and I see the sheer fright in his face from the belligerence in Elsa's tone.

"Yeah, I've actually been to one of those parties," He hisses in a breath as if he was stung by a flying needle. "It wasn't pretty, trust me."

"You're not going to that party, Anna," Elsa turns back to the younger girl with a suspicious scowl deepening in between her brow.

"What? You can't do that!" Anna is now fiery with aggression as the bellicose burns within her.

"_Yes, _I can," Elsa deadpanned, her bright blue eyes now dark. "I'm your older sister and although I may seem like a dictator to you, I'm just trying to look after you. That is what I promised mom after all."

"You promised you would never bring our parents up again!" Anna's cheeks enlarge with a puffy breath that she exhales. The anger has gotten to her face, turning it a deep red. Elsa winces at Anna's outburst, or perhaps it's because she regrets talking about her parents. A pang of symphony strikes my breastbone and I mindlessly touch a finger to it.

Elsa sighs and swipes a loose bang of hair off of her forehead. "Listen, Anna, please don't go. I can't risk you getting hurt – or worst," Her gaze wanders to the ground and she rubs her arm. I reach over and lay a hand on her shoulder. She looks up at me and smiles, but also leans up to peck me on the lips. I grin with gratitude. Anna is quiet, and the silence slithers around the room like a lethal viper.

"I'm sorry, Elsa," Anna finally speaks, her voice calm and impassive. "I'm going to the party whether you like it or not." She grabs the doorknob and yanks it open. As she steps out, Elsa, surprisingly, does not reach out to stop her or plead that she should not go. She's silent as Anna shuts the door behind her. Kristoff lets out a faint whistle, but I can tell, even though I can't see him, that he's worried, maybe even fearful, for Anna.

"What are we going to do?" I ask, and in all honestly, I don't have an answer. I am clueless in this situation. Elsa ponders for a moment, her finger tapping at her chin. Then, as if a loud siren went off in her head, she perked up and trained her eyes on me. There was a spark of determination – perhaps even bravery – in her sapphire eyes.

"We're going to that party."


	20. Chapter 20

"What?" I looked at Elsa with a set of wide eyes and pursed lips. I never saw her as defiant. She was always so prim and proper, a good girl, if I could state it that way. But as I see the ambitious glint in her eye, I can't help but give her a toothy grin.

"You heard me right," she says, her arms folding across her chest. "We are going to sneak into that party and make sure Anna doesn't get hurt – and also so Hans doesn't get any stupid ideas."

"What if she catches us snooping around?" I ask her with a tinge of worry to my voice.

"That's why we will keep our distance," Elsa remarks with a small smirk. "And we'll go undercover by maybe dressing in unnoticeable clothing." I nod slowly, trying to let everything she just told me sink into my mind. I swore to myself that I would never go back to a fraternity party again, but I can't just let Elsa go by herself. Who knows what kind of terrible things were bound to happen.

"Can I come?" Kristoff stands up from the couch and walks over to us, his hands sliding into the pockets of his jeans. "I just – well, you know. I want to make sure Anna will be okay." He looks to the ground shyly and jams the toe of his shoe into the wooden planked floor. I arch an eyebrow at him, my lips curling into a grin. I'm about to playfully make fun of him about his crush, but Elsa sees me and smacks my arm lightly. I breathe out a low laugh and shoot a wink at her.

"Of course you can, Kris," Elsa says, her eyes not faltering to look at me. "As they say, the more the merrier."

"Okay!" Kristoff smiles and gives her a thumbs-up with a hand.

"So," My shorter, blonde girlfriend directs her gaze to me. "do you know what time the party starts?"

"Well, fraternity parties typically begin at dusk, which is around six or seven, and go on till…" I pause, trying to think of an answer. Those kinds of parties go on through the night without rest. They would usually stop at midnight, but most go on. "Let's just say it's an all-nighter kind of thing."

"Oh," Elsa presses her lips firmly together, a thin crease appearing on her forehead. "Okay. I guess we'll just go around seven, then. I believe Anna will be there anyways."

"Sounds like a plan," I smile a little. "So the mission is on then?"

"Yup," Elsa grins widely as if she was proud of herself for achieving a goal. "Jack," She points to me with a finger. "-and Kristoff," Her finger glides to the left and lands on the blond. He's currently stuffing a hand into a bag of pretzels that sits upon a table. At the mention of his name, he looks up, his hand still poised inside of the bag.

"Can you two meet up with me in front of the dormitory tonight?" she asks. "We can walk together to the party."

"Aye aye!" I say in almost a pirate-like voice, my finger hovering over my brow in a salute.

"Good," Elsa smiles. "I'll see you then. I have to finish up some homework anyways…"

"Aww, sorry 'bout that," I pull her into a hug and she giggles against my chest. But then I remember something. "Damn, I have work too. But that can wait." We draw apart and Elsa kisses me before her hand touches the doorknob.

"Alright," she chuckles softly. "See you guys later." She gives a little wave and opens the door, stepping into the hallway. Noises of chattering men and bellowing laughter waft to my ears from the outside, but are cut off as Elsa closes the door behind her. I turn on my heels to face the other side of the room, my hands gently drumming on my thighs. I was nervous, yes, and for many good reasons. Fraternity parties usually end in trouble, and the worst that could happen is someone getting murdered. That has not occurred yet, thankfully, but time could only tell.

I look at Kristoff who sits upon the couch in a scrunched position. He stares blankly toward the carpet and chews slowly at what seem to be pretzels. I could almost smell the anxiety flowing from him in immense, pungent waves. I'm silent, unable to think of words to say to him. Instead I walk over to my dresser and proceed to rummage through it for dark clothes that would masquerade my identity.

Tonight should be fun.

* * *

Kristoff and I stand in the elevator as it descends down to the lobby. We both wear hoodies, except mine is black and his is maroon. I tried convincing him to wear black as well, but he refused and said it wasn't his color. It was hard resisting to pull on my favorite dark blue hoodie, but people would most likely recognize me in it.

The doors slide open to reveal a pack of girls waiting in front of us. As we file out, they go in. When I brush pass them, I hear the trailing of a conversation. I'm not exactly sure what they are discussing, but I hear the word 'fraternity' among everything else and I feel my stomach twist into a knot. I shake off the thought and walk towards the exit with Kristoff lagging behind me.

The cool October air whisks at my face with delicate gusts. I sigh as the breeze chills my warm cheeks; the dorm was unnecessarily heated even though it wasn't even winter yet. I see Kristoff lift his hood over his head out of the corner of my eye. His blond bangs still droop down his forehead even with the covering. I debate about putting my own hood on, but I will just do it once we get close to the party.

Elsa waits down at the bottom of the stairs; she wears a sheer dark gray hoodie, black skinny jeans, and brown ankle-high boots. Her hood is over her head, and her blonde braid could be seen poking out and draped down a shoulder. I get a comical idea and grab Kristoff's arm, steering him out of the path to Elsa. I set him to my side and put a finger up to my lips as if to say 'stay quiet'. He looks confused, but he offers a smile and nods.

I alter my direction and sneak up behind Elsa, creeping like a crook. She is completely unaware of my presence, only until I grab her by wrapping both arms around her torso. A small yelp escapes her lips as I pick her up off of the ground for a split second. She whips around and her face softens to a delighted smile, but there is a shadow of annoyance to her expression.

"Jack! Why'd you do that?" she asks, but her tone is playful and friendly, not aggravated like most people would be. I smirk and pull her close against me, pressing a kiss to her mouth.

"I just wanted to give you a little surprise," I say and she cuffs me gently on the arm, a grin set upon her pink lips. Kristoff walks up to us and pats me on the back.

"Nice one," he says and I just shoot a crooked grin at him.

"You guys ready to go?" Elsa asks.

"I guess so," I respond, rubbing at the back of my neck.

"We won't stay long," she says. "well, it depends on how long Anna stays,"

"She'll probably stay all night," Kristoff grumbles as his gaze drills into the cobblestone ground.

"I doubt that. Just like any other girl, she needs her sleep," Elsa says as she fiddles with the end of her braid.

"Well, Hans might try to drug her or something…" I say truthfully and Elsa scowls at me, but her face sinks to a worried husk of what it used to be. "I'm sorry for even thinking like that," I reach out to her, but she steps aside. Regret instantly floods my insides.

"No, no, it's okay. Let… let's just get going now." Kristoff and I both nod without a word and the three of us begin traveling down the pathway. The Alpha Phi Omega's house, where all of their parties and rumbustious meetings took place, was located just outside of the Academy's surrounding golden gates. It was implanted right in the midst of an ordinary neighborhood, one where families and elderly couples live. It was not uncommon for frequent calls of complaints to the fraternity due to their loud behavior.

I walked alongside Elsa, and my shoulder occasionally brushed hers. She shrunk closer to me and I glanced down to see her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

"Are you cold?" I ask and she shakes her head, her blonde bangs bouncing out from under the brim of her hood.

"It doesn't bother me." From the moment she spoke, I realized that it wasn't the cold that was bothering her, but the concern that shrouded her for her sister. I would be like that too. If I found out that a sibling was going to be at a party full of drugs and potential rapists, I would not be all calm and collected either.

We walk through the open golden gates leading out of the Academy, and overlook the massive parking lot. Headlights from cars slowly heading in to park poked through the dark and as I looked farther out, I could see the busy traffic of New York City. Tall buildings rocketing into the dark sky shined with dazzling lights out in the distance. The moon was perched up high, dimly shaped into a crescent. I stared up at the radiant lunar, mesmerized by its beauty. Even though it rained down silver moonlight, it had no effect on the man-made lights of the city beaming everywhere.

"Do we drive there or walk?" Elsa asks in a soft voice that sounded almost like a whisper among the honking horns and music drifting in from a faraway concert.

"Walk, it's not too far from here." I say and we continue walking without another word.

After about five minutes, I find myself treading upon a narrow paved sidewalk. Houses were established side-by-side in a long row to our right. Lights illuminated from within a few residences, indicating obvious occupation, while others were dark, but it was most likely elders who went to bed early, and I mean r_eally_ early. It was only ten pass seven.

As the three of us paced onwards, shadowed by a veil of silence, pounding echoed off from the distance and greeted my ears. It sounded like the bass from extremely loud music, and to be exact, I believe it was dubstep. Typical of a fraternity party.

A larger house came into view and if my eyes were correct, that was where the party was. It was constructed wider than most of the houses in this neighborhood and was about two stories high. Lights shined brightly from inside, and not just your usual yellow lights, but colorful ones. The music steadily grew louder and louder as we got closer. I could nearly feel the bass thumping inside my chest as if there was a stereo buried in my heart.

Many young men, and even women, loitered around outside of the house. Some were talking and sipping on a red solo cup, while others danced drunkenly to the music. Noticing that Kristoff and Elsa already had their hoods on, I pulled mine on and tried bringing the hem down a bit over my eyes.

"Well, here goes nothing," I mutter, and we make our way to the entrance. A few straggling men hanging out to the side of the wide-opened door whistle at us, particularly Elsa. She recoils closer to me and her small hands curl around my bicep. I look up slightly at the men and glare at them, but say nothing. I could not afford getting into a fight since it would reveal our identities here.

I'm the first to step into the frat-riddled house and Elsa follows closely behind with Kristoff at the rear. My eyes sweep around and all I see are clumps of frat guys with the occasional girl sprinkled among the bunch. They talk, dance, or just wander around with a bottle of alcohol in a hand. There is a group huddled in the corner with the men surrounding it hooting and hollering encouragements. My gaze pierces through a slit and I see that one guy is chugging down a barrel full of beer through a plastic elastic tube. I cringe at the thought of a river of burning alcohol sliding down your throat at a non-stop speed, and you are unable to pause for a breather.

A sickly smell wafts to my nose and I recognize it as being marijuana. I look around and see a middling amount of guys sitting upon a torn, filth-covered couch. They hold a chunk of wrapped paper in between their fingers and take puffs. My eyes start water as the smoke flows our way as a cloud of nauseating fumes. I rub at my eyes with a hand while my other arm is currently being grasped by Elsa. I tug her away until we are in a concealed and somewhat safe corner of the room.

"I don't like it here," she says in a hushed voice.

"Me neither," I wipe away the last tears in my eyes. "But just hang in there. Do you see Hans or Anna anywhere?"

"No, I haven't – hey, where's Kristoff?" I peer around and realize he was no longer lumbering with us. I squint through the faint haze of cigarette and marihuana smoke that lingers through the air, and I spot Kristoff standing at a foldable table full of drinks and snacks. He holds a beer bottle up to his lips and glances around mindlessly. I sigh irritably and touch Elsa's hand, gently prying her fingers off of my arm. She gives me a scared look but I reassure her with a soft smile.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." I walk toward Kristoff and snatch the beer bottle from his hand. He looks to me and raises an eyebrow, his mouth set into a straight line.

"What?" he says.

"What are you doing?" My voice comes off as a growl. "You shouldn't be drinking! We're here on a mission, not to lollygag and drink ourselves away."

"Fine," Kristoff huffs. "I just wanted a drink." I place the bottle back on the table and gesture for him to follow me back to Elsa. She still stands, but her arms are shriveled around herself and she is starting to look morbid.

"Are you okay?" I ask her as we approach.

"Yeah," she nods slightly. "It's just… these fumes are getting to my head,"

"We can always go outside for some fresh air," I recommend but she shakes her head.

"No, I don't want to miss Anna. She could be in danger from these conditions." Her blue eyes dart around and land on mine. Rays of colorful beams pass over her face, enlightening her sapphire orbs with a laser of pink light. The music began to gradually lower from its usual dubstep and now a new song was emerging. As it was cranked louder, I recognized it as Krewella. I was not sure which song, but I knew it was them by the feminine vocal chords and the alluring techno.

"It's okay," I touch Elsa's arm comfortably. "We'll find her and make sure she's alright,"

Elsa smiles up at me, but says nothing more. Suddenly a few frat guys call out to someone, and I can't help but listen on to what they're saying.

"Hans! What's up, man?"

"Yo, if it isn't the Hans!"

"Ooh, who's your hot lady friend?"

I look up, eyes widened, and catch sight of Hans walking through a crowd of men. He's pulling someone with him as he pushes his way forward. I notice the girl with him is none other than Anna. But she appears to be acting different; she looks more loopy than usual and she stumbles with each step she makes to keep up with Hans.

"Anna…" Elsa chokes out her sister's name in a sob and attempts to move out, but I grab her hand and keep her in place. Kristoff tenses and I could almost hear a growl bubbling in his throat; however, he stays glued next to me.

"Oh God, Jack, I think Hans really did drug her," Elsa is on the verge of tears and I pull her into a close side-hug. I nod, my lips pursed. I am speechless, maybe even mortified. Though I did not like Hans that much, I never suspected him to be the bad guy in anyway. But realizing that he had potentially drugged Anna or got her drunk on purpose made me want to leap out and beat the shit out of him.

"Back away, boys," Hans' voice penetrates through the deafening music and rowdy chattering. There was pride to his tone, as if he knew that he was going to achieve something and come out happy with himself. "She's my girlfriend, and we're going to have little fun," The frat guys whooped as Hans and Anna disappeared down a hall on the other side of the room.

"We have to stop him!" Elsa murmurs to me and before I could agree, Kristoff is already walking in front of us. We quickly scurry after him and go into the hallway. But this hall was like moving straight into a maze. Many doors aligned the two walls on either side and we could not tell which one Hans and Anna went into. Kristoff began opening every door that he could get to without hesitation.

"Kristoff, stop!" I hissed to him but he just ignored me. I knew he was not going to stop anytime soon, so I hurried down the hall to the very last door on the left. Maybe I could help on trying to the find the couple. My hand grappled at the doorknob, but it would not budge. I yanked at it with more force. It was still stuck.

"Here, I got this," Kristoff pushed me away and grabbed the handle with both hands. He tugged down, muscles straining and veins popping from underneath his skin, and the door miraculously burst open. I peered over his shoulder and saw a scene that made my blood turn to ice and my heart leap up into my throat.

Anna was sprawled on her back upon the bed, her clothes torn and hair ruffled. Hans loomed over her with a bare chest and a lust-streaked face, preparing to pounce on his vulnerable prey.

_Holy shit._

* * *

**I'M SORRY FOR THE CLIFFHANGER, I PROMISE THIS WILL BE THE LAST ONE. OR AT LEAST I THINK SO. I ALSO APOLOGIZE FOR WRITING THIS IN CAPITAL LETTERS. AHHHH *spontaneously combusts***


	21. Chapter 21

**Yay, I have no school tomorrow due to a snow day. Thank you Elsa and Jack!**

**Just to let you all know in advanced, Kristoff sings a song later on in the chapter. It is called "Autumn Leaves" by Ed Sheeran. I highly recommend listening to it while that part goes on. It's a lovely song!**

* * *

Kristoff barreled into the room at such an erratic and hasty pace that I thought he was going to trip over his own feet. But he did not, instead he went straight after Hans, his fists clenched and broad shoulders flexing tremendously with each wide step he took. Hans' head snapped up and he began to back away from the bed, hands held up in a defensive gesture. I watched in amusement as Kristoff jerked his arm backwards.

_CRACK!_

I winced slightly as Kristoff's fist struck Hans right in the nose, the crunch of cartilage piercing my eardrums at an oddly strong tone. The hulking blond gripped roughly at the crook of Hans' neck with a hand and continued to fling multiple punches at his face.

"Don't. You. Dare. Touch. Her. You. Bastard." Kristoff spat between each hit that he made upon Hans' now bloodied face. I had no idea to do; I was frozen with fear, unable to move either in or out of the doorway that I currently stood in. Elsa brushed passed me and into the room, heading for her sister that was still lying on the bed, motionless.

I decided to follow after her, while taking a few glances at the beatdown that was occurring in the corner of the room. Kristoff had paused his punching, but he still grasped Hans with both hands, his face now contorted into menacing glare that could frighten even the toughest man. Hans was obviously on the verge of unconsciousness; his face was bruised with freshly damaged tissues and muscles, blood poured out of his nose and down his chin, and he struggled to keep his head up which was beginning to loll to the side.

"What the fuck's wrong with you?!" Kristoff bellowed at the auburn-haired man who now looked like a shriveled raisin. I arched an eyebrow with surprise. Kristoff usually was not the one to curse, but I guess at times like this, it was necessary in a way. The blond jock shoved Hans against the wall with aggressive force and as his back slammed into the wall, he grunted painfully.

"Kristoff," Elsa deadpanned, her eyes drilling into him with sheer seriousness. "Enough. I think he has learned his lesson." Kristoff looked back at her, his breathing coming rapid and hard, but he said nothing. He glimpsed back at Hans, who was slowly sinking to his knees in mercy, and delivered one last blow across the face. Hans collapsed to the ground with a sickly thump.

I tore my eyes from Hans' unmoving body as well as Kristoff's trembling form hovering over him, and went over to the bed where Elsa cradled Anna's head in her lap. I was fearful that something was terribly wrong with Anna, due to her paralyzed body and silent lips, but as she stirred slightly, fingers curling into the fluffy comforter of the bed, I mentally sighed in relief.

"Anna? Come on, sis, wake up," Elsa placed her hands gently upon her sister's cheek, her voice cracking with dread. Kristoff shuffled over to the bed and propped himself next to Anna's lying figure. His eyes were glassy, a sheet of tears lustering from his light brown orbs. As soon as his presence was made known, Anna's eyes slowly opened. Her teal irises were dull and weary. The effects of the drug or alcohol that enthralled her were dimming down, and she steadily shrank back to her normal self again.

As soon as she caught Kristoff in her gaze, her pale lips curved into a small smile. She weakly reached up and her fingers brushed the thin stubble upon his cheek. He turned a light red at the affectionate gesture that she made to him, but he smiled and grasped her hand within his own larger one.

"Kristoff?" Anna spoke his name as if it was a whisper gliding along the wind's breeze. "Y-you saved me…" Kristoff radiated with a smile, his eyes twinkling. I felt my heart throb at this tender moment and I faintly heard Elsa sigh dreamily. I did not notice this until now, but part of Anna's shirt was ripped open, revealing the trace of a fuchsia bra. Elsa saw this and discreetly extended an arm over to pull a piece of loose fabric down to cover it. Kristoff and Anna didn't take note of this; however, they were too mesmerized with each other.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Kristoff responded as if he was unsure if it was really true. "Are you okay, Anna?"

"I am now," she says with a tiny turn of her head. "I'm just…a little frightened and dizzy, that's all."

Kristoff offered a delicate upwards curl of his lips and spoke, "Don't worry, I'll take you home." He proceeded to slide his robust arms underneath her frail body and scoop her up, bridal style. She flung an arm around his neck while the other was retracted against her, and she laid her head on his chest.

"Wait, what about Hans?" I ask and my eyes flicker to the limp figure on the ground.

"I'll call the police to come and retrieve him," Elsa says as she digs her phone out from of her pocket. I nod in agreement and follow after Kristoff as he carries Anna out of the room. Elsa trails behind me with her phone up to her ear and quietly speaks to the operator about what happened. After a minute passes, she catches up to my side and we push through the bewildered crowd of frat boys, keeping our heads low.

"The police will be here soon. We better skedaddle." I give her a slight bob of my head and we exit the house, escaping the smell of alcohol, drugs, and pain that linger throughout. I'm not sure what time it is, but the sky is dark by the time we get outside. The music slowly decrescendos as we hurry away and onto the sidewalk leading back to the Academy. My ears ring a little from the blaring beats and my throat is parched; I take a whiff of my hoodie's sleeve and frown. It smells of marijuana smoke. I hope Hiccup or any of my other friends don't think that I'm a druggie.

Elsa and I walk alongside each other in silence, tailing Kristoff and Anna from behind. I would rather not speak at the moment; for one thing, I feel like shit due to the second-hand smoking and the dull headache that was emerging, and also because of what we witnessed. How could Hans do such a thing? Drugging your own girlfriend and then attempting to rape her? He is a sick, sick monster and I hope he rots in jail from his unforgiving doings.

The golden gated entrance to the Academy came into view, illuminated by many streetlamps that lined the area. The moon remained perched high up in the dark sky, casting a silvery glow along the sidewalk that we trudged upon. I looked at Elsa with the slightest glance; her head was ducked, lips pursed in a tight line, and her arms swung limply by her sides.

"You alright?" I ask in a rather low murmur.

"Yeah, I'm just – just worried," she says softly, her eyes still training into the paved ground. I'm silent for a moment, and I raise my head up to peer around. The houses slowly passing by to our left appeared snuggled among others and a few contained an afterglow inside. The gentle breeze echoed in my ears, whispering words that I would never be able to understand. Everything seemed calm, peaceful even. Despite the hectic time we fled from, the placid scenery surrounding us was rather serene.

I glimpse back to Elsa who now looks at me with shadowed eyes. Her bright blue irises were masked by the darkness, and they now emerged as dark, dark blue, like a sapphire gem that was swallowed by tar. I gave her a grin and my fingers stretched out to hers as if two magnets attracting towards each other. I found her hand and grasped it softly, earning a small smile from her.

"I'm so sorry about what happened to Anna," I say and I feel a pang in my chest. I don't know why I was apologizing; none of this was my fault, but still, I persisted on saying sorry as if I was the villain in this case. Elsa shakes her head inconsiderably.

"I am too, but you don't have to apologize. Anna is strong, she can live through this," Elsa looks down, her arms now crossed over her chest. "But I doubt she will be, if I should say, _mentally_ okay for a while. Experiencing a near rape is an ordeal thing; she will be scarred forever by what happened."

I nod silently, restraining any words from escaping my mouth. I have nothing to say, Elsa already spoke what had to be spoken. I slither my arm around her waist and reel her in closer to me. She sighs contently as she places her head on my shoulder and I kiss her forehead, right upon a loose blonde bang.

We walked through the gates and onto the campus. Thankfully, at this time of the night, there weren't many students wandering around. I'm relieved that there won't be many gawkers upon Kristoff and Anna, especially Anna who is in raw condition.

"Hold on, I'm going to go up and check on those two," I say and motion with my head toward the couple in front of us. Elsa nods without word and I jog up to Kristoff's side. His face is tight with anguish and his eyes stare straight ahead, dazed and not having that usual sparkle to them. Anna nuzzles up close to his chest with the top of her head just inches away from Kristoff's chin. Her eyes are closed, and I can't tell if she's asleep or just blocking out the rest of the world.

"Hey," I say and stick both of my hands into the deep pockets of my hoodie. Kristoff's eyes flicker to me, and then go back to staring ahead. His lips tremble slightly.

"Hi," he says breathlessly.

"How is Anna doing?" I ask.

"Okay, I think. She's been asleep ever since we left the party," he deadpanned. A muscle beneath his eye twitches and he looks exhausted.

"Are you tired?" My eyes switch between the film of sweat covering Kristoff's brow and Anna's dozing face.

"Nah," he shakes his head, causing his blond bangs to spill over the brim of his hood and down his slick forehead. "Anna's as light as feather and I surely don't mind carrying her," He pauses briefly and glances down at her, his lips curling into the ghost of a smile. "I'm just sluggish from the aftermath of the party and beating up Hans…"

I notice that the knuckles along his right hand are splotchy with bruises and lightly covered in dried blood. I cannot imagine the pain that he's feeling right now, both physically and mentally, and yet he lumbers on without giving in to the afflicted misery. I touch his shoulder with my fingertips.

"Even though I've been told beating the shit out of someone is frowned upon, I still think what you did back there was brave. You're a real hero."

"I'm no hero," Kristoff closes his eyes and sighs lightly. "I can't be,"

"_Yes_, you are," I strain my eyes on him, piercing into his temple. "If it weren't for you, Anna would have been – well – you know…"

"Yeah, I know," Kristoff looks sadly down at the sleeping girl in his arms. "Thank you for considering me as a hero, but I still don't believe it."

We approach the Crystal dormitory and as Kristoff carries Anna up the stairs and into the building, I wait for Elsa. She comes up to my side and we lace our fingers together.

"What were you guys talking about?" she asks in a gentle tone before brushing her lips against my cheek. I smile and turn my head to give her a full kiss on the lips.

"Oh, it's nothing, really," I murmur as I nuzzle into her hair, breathing in the sweet scent of shampoo.

"You know, I hate to admit this, but Anna and Hans had a really strong relationship," Elsa says with a slight pout. "It's sad to see it all go downhill so quickly."

"Yeah, but look, she has Kristoff. He risked a lot for her: agreeing to come to that disgusting party, beating up Hans, and even carrying her safely home."

"They were meant to be," Elsa remarks. "Kristoff would make a way better boyfriend than Hans any day." I nod as we continue up the short staircase and into the dormitory's lobby. It was practically empty, even Clarisse who is usually always at the front desk was not there. Kristoff had already gone up to the dorms, leaving an aura of silence and vacancy in his wake. Elsa and I ascend up to the second floor, walking directly to my dorm.

The door was wide opened and we entered, with Elsa closing it behind us. Kristoff stood over a bed, and I realized it was his own bed. Anna laid upon it on her back, her arms curled and legs pressed together. Hiccup was next to him, staring down at the wrecked girl with a hand up to his mouth. He turned his head to look at us and walked on over.

"Kristoff wouldn't tell me what's going on," he says in a hushed voice. "What happened to Anna?"

I shake my head and as I pass him, I mutter, "I'll tell you later. It's a lot to take in."

Hiccup shrugs his shoulders in defeat, disappointed that he has no answer to his burning curiosity. He shuffles over to his own bed on the other side of the room and plops down; he takes a comic book out from under his pillow, but his eyes would glance up every once in a while.

I walk over to Anna's bedside with Elsa behind me. But as I approach, I notice that she was awake. She may not be completely aware or focused on the settings, but her eyes were droopily open; her chest slowly heaved up and down with each breath. Kristoff was crouched next to her, his hand idly touching her freckled cheek. She seemed unhurt on the outside, except the obvious fatigue that washed over her, but her insides were most likely twisted into knots of pain. That memory of Hans looming over her, targeting her in his hunger vision full of lust and pride, must be singed across her mind, an unforgettable nightmare that will never go away.

"How are you feeling, Anna?" Kristoff asks her, almost in a whisper.

"Better, but I'm awfully tired," she croaks with a half-stifled yawn following afterwards.

Kristoff smiles and picks up a forest green blanket that was folded on the end of the bed. He unraveled it and splayed it over her body, pulling the soft blanket up to her chest. I feel a tingle of sympathy for his act of kindness; perhaps he is the perfect guy for Anna, and I believe that wholly.

"Maybe you should go to sleep, then," he tells her, his honey eyes smiling down at her.

She's silent, her drowsy teal orbs studying his features from her lying position. Then she speaks, in a voice so soft that it's barely audible, "Can you sing me a song?"

Kristoff appears surprised as he brings his head back a bit, eyes widened. He glances at Elsa and I with pursed lips and a knitted brow. I offer him a grin with a thumbs-up and Elsa smiles reassuringly. He turns back to Anna who gleams up at him with a tiny smile, and gives a reluctant nod. Standing up, he scurries over to the couch and grabs the guitar that leans upright on the furniture's armrest.

He pulls up a chair and settles himself to Anna's side, the guitar tucked under a brawny forearm. "What song would you like me to sing?" he asks.

Anna raises and contracts her thin shoulders effortlessly, and says, "It's your pick." Kristoff ponders for a moment, his eyes staring blankly at the tan-painted wall. After a moment, he puts his hands in position on the guitar and begins strumming. The first few notes are gentle, and sound almost like a lullaby. Chords replace the notes, vibrating through the air in a hauntingly beautiful tone.

_Another day, another life_

_Passes by just like mine_

_It's not complicated_

_Another mind, another soul_

_Another body to grow old_

_It's not complicated_

_Do you ever wonder if the stars shine out for you?_

_Float down, like autumn leaves_

_Hush now_

_Close your eyes before the sleep_

_And you're miles away_

_And yesterday you were here with me_

_Another tear, another cry_

_Another place for us to die_

_It's not complicated_

_Another love that's gone to waste_

_Another light lost from your face_

_It's complicated_

_Is it that it's over or do birds still sing for you?_

_Float down, like autumn leaves_

_Hush now_

_Close your eyes before the sleep_

_And you're miles away_

_And yesterday you were here with me_

_Ooh how I miss you_

_My symphony played the song that carried you out_

_Ooh how I miss you_

_And I, I miss you and I wish you'd stay_

_Do you ever wonder if the stars shine out for you?_

_Float down, like autumn leaves_

_Hush now_

_Close your eyes before the sleep_

_And you're miles away_

_And yesterday you were here with me_

_Touch down_

_Like a seven four seven_

_Or stay out and we'll live forever now_

Kristoff finishes the song as the last chord to the guitar fades out in a gentle ring. I'm struck by his incredible singing, maybe even paralyzed. I have heard him sing previously, but this particular song framed his vocal chords perfectly. Elsa is stiff beside me, her body rigid with sheer awe. I glance to the back of the room at Hiccup; he stares at Kristoff, mouth slightly gaping, with his forsaken comic book upon his lap.

I look to Anna who gazes up at Kristoff. I'm quite certain she was going to burst into tears or compliment him, but instead she heaves all of her strength upwards and catches him in an embrace. He chuckles softly, using one arm to support her and the other to place his guitar down. His nose burrows into her strawberry-blonde hair and I can imagine him smiling rapturously.

"That was _amazing,"_ Anna mumbles against his shoulder, her voice shaking with the presence of oncoming tears. She pulls back, her arms still wrapped around his neck, and stares into his eyes. Her face is merely inches from his, and I see his small Adam's apple bob as he gulps nervously. "_You're_ amazing, Kristoff."

I'm anticipating for the moment when they kiss, but Anna retracts a bit farther back. Kristoff shrinks down in disheartened sorrow. To all of our surprises, Anna leans forward and pecks him on the cheek. She falls back on the bed with a light dusting of crimson upon her cheeks. Kristoff stares at her, blush beginning to creep along his face as well.

Anna snuggles back into the blanket and closes her eyes. After nearly a few seconds, she is asleep, and breathes steadily with a soft snore in between. Kristoff continues staring at her, and then slowly stands up, his eyes trailing to the carpeted floor.

"You don't mind if she sleeps here tonight, do you?" He speaks to Elsa.

She shakes her head, her hand stroking the skin by her chin. "Not at all. Just as long as you don't get any ideas; if you know what I mean." Kristoff suddenly turns bright red with bashfulness and holds his hands up in front of him, defensively.

"Hey now, of course I wouldn't do such things. I'm not Hans." He rakes a hand through his disheveled blond locks.

Elsa nods. "Yeah, I'm glad you aren't. Well, it's getting late. I better get back to my dorm before Merida sends a search party for me. That is if she even notices my disappearance." I laugh and Elsa smirks at me. She presses up to me and places a sweet kiss on my lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jack." She heads for the exit and I wave to her before she slips out, leaving with a soft click of the door.


	22. Chapter 22

**Elsa's POV**

Time flies by and the next thing I know, today is Halloween. I used to love this holiday when I was younger: dressing up as my favorite characters, walking around the neighborhood, gazing in awe at all of the frightening decorations, and receiving candy was definitely a memorable time not worth forgetting. I remember when I was eight, and Anna was six, I dressed up as Cinderella, who was one of my favorite princesses. Anna went as Tinkerbell, and she refused to put on a blonde wig so she was practically a strawberry-blonde Tinkerbell instead.

The memory would appear in my mind randomly, but I would still laugh at the mental imagery of Anna in her fairy outfit. Whenever I would bring it up, she would scold me to be quiet in a flustered fit of embarrassment. I still continued to poke fun at her.

I still love Halloween today, but for the past few years, I have not been able to dress up or even go out to parties. I didn't have many friends and even though Anna invited me to come to a party, I would say that I had homework to do and ended up not going. I actually don't like parties all that much. Ever since the run-in at the fraternity party, as well as the abundance of alcohol, drugs, and horny guys, I have not been too comfortable being around parties, no matter what kind they were.

Anna is still traumatized by the near-rape mishap with Hans, but she has grown better since hanging out with Kristoff more. They are still not in a relationship; however, I notice the occasional flirting and attraction toward the two. I yearn for the moment when they get together, and even Jack has been prodding Kristoff on when he will ask Anna out. He still says the same thing, "Only time will tell." Hans, on the other hand, has not made an appearance anywhere in the Academy since that tragic day. Gossip has been swirling around the campus about how he was arrested and sent to trial.

Not many people know that Kristoff single-handedly beat up Hans; only his closest friends and maybe a few acquaintances know. I'm glad that Kristoff did not get prosecuted for his rather violent actions. But Hans was the instigator and villain in the first place, so it was obvious that the police went after him.

I sat at my desk in my dorm room, staring blankly at the screen of my laptop which glowed with my Tumblr dashboard. Once again it was full of nothing but Korean boy bands, food, and the occasional porn. I sighed exasperatedly and exited out of the tab, resorting back to the Youtube page where I was listening to music. I don't even know why I follow some people on Tumblr; they reblog posts that, half of the time, I have a strong distaste for. Except for food, that is always good.

I was supposed to be writing an essay for Liberal Arts regarding to the fine arts during the Italian Renaissance, but instead I was wasting time on the Internet. I shut out of Youtube and closed my laptop. My hand rested on the smooth surface of the desk. I swirled my fingers around the glossy mahogany and pressed a fingernail into it until I was sure that I left a faint mark. I looked over my shoulder at Merida who was sitting upon her bed; she was typing away at her own laptop that lulled on her thighs.

My eyes glanced at the small clock that hung above my desk; it was almost four in the evening. Perhaps I could at least dress up for Halloween. I don't have to go to any parties, just dress up for the sake of it. Jack might be planning to go to a party, but I certainly hope not. We could just cuddle and watch horror movies, or wander around campus, cladded in costumes.

"Are you doing anything tonight?" I ask Merida who is still engrossed in her laptop. Her eyebrows rise slightly, indicating that she had heard me, but has not quite been broken off from her immersion at the laptop's screen.

"Uh, no, not really," she says, eyes not bothering to look up at me. "I've never been one to go out for Halloween. Besides, I have homework to do," she sighs. "What about ya?"

"Eh, I don't know," I shrug and cast my gaze downwards. "I don't want to go to any parties, unless Jack convinced me into going. But other than that, I'm clueless."

"Ah, I feel ya," Merida says, her pale blue eyes flickering up. "I hate parties too. They were never my thing."

I nod, but say nothing more. I stand up, pushing the rolling blue chair aside, and walk over to my wardrobe. I may have something hidden in there that I could pull off as a costume. I try to think of characters from different universes that I love: Belle from Beauty and the Beast? There is no way I could possibly have her dress anywhere in my clutches. Black Widow from Marvel? No thanks, I'm no fan of skin-tight leather. Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones? I could pull her off, but then again, I don't have the right clothing or any stuffed dragons to carry around.

But then I think of someone. Katniss Everdeen! Yes, she is my favorite heroine from a book trilogy, and I think I do have some articles of clothing that represent her. My hands shuffle through the layers of shirts, coats, and dresses that inhabit most of the wardrobe. A specific jacket catches my eyes and I brush my fingers over it; it is dark with a leathery feel to it. There are light gray lines zigzagging over various parts of the jacket, including the arms and down the torso. This looks like the apparel Katniss wears in the first Hunger Games.

I take the jacket off the hanger and fling it on my bed. The next thing I find is a pair of olive green cargo pants, perfect. I eventually fish out brown combat boots that reach my ankles and a black V-neck shirt that I could wear under the jacket. I begin stripping off the clothing I currently wore and pulling the new outfit on.

As I finish adjusting the jacket comfortably over myself, making sure to zip it up halfway, Merida notices my costume.

"Yer Katniss, right?" she says with a small grin.

"Yup," I say proudly and turn to my mirror. My hands fumble with my ponytail and pull it off, allowing my platinum hair to fall loosely over my shoulders and back.

"Katniss is badass," Merida comments and I look at her from the reflection in the mirror. "She's one of my favorite book characters."

"Mine too." I say with a bob of my head. I quickly weave my hair into a braid and drape it over a shoulder. Not only is it my usual hairstyle, but Katniss does her hair the way too, which I find mind-blowing. I twist away from the mirror and stand before Merida, who still lies lazily on her bed with her laptop, with my arms outstretched.

"So… what do you think?" Merida looks up and puckers her lips in concentration. She removes her laptop, placing it aside, and swings her legs over the side of her bed to stand up.

"It looks good," she says as her eyes skim over me. "but yer missing one last ingredient." She moves over to her own dresser that holds a small jewelry box on top of the polished wood. I'm surprised; Merida isn't usually the type of girl to wear jewelry very often, and I wonder why she owns a box to store them in. Her fingers unlatch the bronze lock on the front and open it slowly, revealing a meager supply of jewelry. From what I could see, it all looked like necklaces and bracelets.

But then she picks up a small brooch between two fingers; it glints with lustrous metal a she raises it slightly, observing it in the light above.

"Catch." She says and without giving me time to respond, she throws it to me. My instincts flare, and a hand comes up to catch the flying brooch before it collided with my face, most likely resulting in a bruised mark or a swollen eye. I unclasp my fingers around the piece of jewelry and stare down, awestruck, at the shiny gold pendant in my palm. It's the Mockingjay pin, and in fine condition too. How could I be so ignorant? The Mockingjay is the biggest symbol in all of the books! I can't believe I forgot that essential item to my costume.

"Wow," I murmur and flip the pin over. There is a small button covering the needle in which you poke through your clothing. "Thanks," I look up at Merida and smile.

She shrugs and moves back to her bed where she plops down, recovering her laptop once again. "No problem. Just don't lose or damage it, kay?"

"I promise." I fasten the pin to the exposed flap of my jacket and position it upright.

There is a sudden knock at the door and my feel my insides churn in excitement. Could that be Jack here to whisk me off on a magical adventure, or perhaps Anna and Punzie to join me on Halloween fun? I walk over to the door and open it; on the other side is the entire gang: Anna, Kristoff, Punzie, and Flynn. Kristoff and Flynn were disappointingly not dressed up, but Anna flaunted her holiday cheer by wearing a beautiful dress with a masquerade mask. Punzie was dressed as Harley Quinn, and she popped out from the other three like a firework in the darkness.

"Oh my God, you're Katniss!" Anna exclaims with a bright smile. Her teal eyes sparkle behind the dark masquerade mask that was covered in glitter and feathers. I acknowledge her outburst with a nod of my head and a smile in return.

"Where's your bow and arrows, Catnip?" Flynn gives me a toothy grin in his best Gale expression.

"I'm afraid I don't have them with me at the moment," I chuckled. "How come you guys aren't dressed up?" My finger wavers between Flynn and Kristoff, my lips pressed into a fine line.

"Because they're killjoys," Anna crosses her arms and scowls at the two boys. Punzie reacts with a giggle that she suppresses with a hand over her mouth.

Kristoff laughs. "No, I just didn't feel like dressing up," He swipes his blond bangs away from his forehead. Most of his hair is covered by a green and yellow snapback with the Green Bay Packers logo stitched on the front.

"And I couldn't really think of anyone to dress up as," Flynn points out and Punzie just scoffs.

"You could have been Batman!" she pouts at him. "It would have gone well with my Harley Quinn costume."

"I know," He places a kiss on Punzie's temple, earning a hushed giggle from her. "But I told you, Wolverine is my favorite hero, not Batman."

"Wolverine is not even considered one of the main superheroes, dude," Kristoff says with a smug smirk. "Spider-Man is obviously the best."

"Pfft, whatever," Flynn rolls his eyes. "A hero's a hero, and that's what Wolverine is. I bet your little spidey wouldn't stand a chance in a battle against Wolvie."

"Oh yeah?" Kristoff steps closer to Flynn, his face twisted with heated aggressiveness, but a tiny smile rested upon his lips. Before Flynn could respond, Anna intervenes and lays her hands on Kristoff's chest, pushing him away.

"Okay, you nerds," she winks at Kristoff with playfulness and he reacts with a light chuckle. "There's no need for fighting over superheroes. Let's just say Spider-Man is the best and move on, kay?"

"Yes!" Kristoff pumps a fist into the air, content that Anna agreed with his opinion. Flynn huffs with irritation and turns away, leaving Punzie to stare at the two with a grin.

"Hey, do you guys know where Jack is?" I ask, veering off to a different subject.

"He had trouble getting his costume on," Kristoff says. "I think he'll be here soon."

"Ooh, what is he?" I look at the blond jock with wide eyes.

"He wants it to be a surprise, so I can't tell," Kristoff laughs. "But you're going to find it quite funny; that's if you understand who he even is."

Suddenly there was a yell at the other end of the hallway and all of our heads jerked over to see Jack running our way. He was cladded in the strangest yet most interesting costume I have seen; he wore a white and blue coat-like garment that ended in twin flaps hanging over his crotch and buttocks. Over that was a leathery brown vest and brown gauntlets strapped to his forearms. Tied around his waist was a red sash that dangled and swayed with each step he took, as well as a series of belts that carried dual plastic swords.

There was a brown strap fastened across his chest, embroidered with a small sculpted skull figurine as well as holding two toy flintlock pistols in place. He wore whitish-tan pants that were slightly dirtied and ripped with dark brown boots that folded downwards at his knees. To complete the entire costume was a white hood pulled over his head and partially shadowing his face. I could still see the strands of silvery-white hair peeking out from underneath the rim of the hood.

His costume was amazing, I must vouch so myself, even though I had no idea who he was. He looked like a warrior of some kind, or perhaps a rouge from a faraway land.

"Ah, there's Captain Kenway!" Kristoff called out, his arms slightly spread as if he was awaiting a hug.

"Arghh, matey!" Flynn closed one eye and curved a finger into a hook. "How's life at sea treating you, Edward?"

"Captain Kenway? Edward? What in the world are they talking about?" Anna leaned in, whispering to both Punzie and I.

"He's from a video game, girls," Kristoff overheard what Anna said and looked at us, his light brown eyes twinkling under the brim of his hat.

Jack joined in our huddle and stood proudly with his hands at his hips, puffing out his chest slightly. I walked over to him and he looks at me, his thin lips curved into a grin.

"And who may you be, lass?" He says in a Welsh accent that had a bit of a rough edge to it. I must say, he's very good with the accent. "Oh wait, let me guess. Are you that Katniss gal?"

I nod, but can't help and giggle. "You're exactly right. Wow, Jack, your costume is awesome."

"Thanks," He resorts back to his normal voice and chuckles. "Call me a nerd if you want, but I just love video games."

"No, I'm not judging," I lean up and kiss him on the lips, smiling against both the soft and coarse feeling that they acquired.

"Oooh, I didn't know Edward and Katniss had an affair," Flynn says in a girly voice. "I better go tell Peeta."

"Oh, shut up, you wanker," Jack goes back to his Welsh accent and smirks at Flynn.

"Hey guys?" Anna perks up after glancing at her phone, in which she slipped back into the small purse on her shoulder. "The party starts soon. We better be getting down there."

"Oh yes, you're right." Kristoff says and begins departing from the group with Anna behind him.

"Party? What party?" I ask, even though I didn't want to go. I was just curious.

"The Academy's hosting a Halloween party, like they do every year. The four of us are going. What about you two?" Punzie lingers after Kristoff and Anna have already gone off, and Flynn stays to accompany her.

"Hmm, perhaps," Jack takes a side glance at me. "Do you want to go, Els?"

I shake my head. "No, sorry, I don't really like parties all that much."

"Oh okay. Are you still coming, Jack?" Punzie diverts her gaze to him.

"No thanks. I'll just stick with Elsa instead." He wraps an arm around me and I lean into him, burying my face in his shoulder.

"Aww, you two are just perfect," Punzie sighs. "Anyways, okay then. See you guys later! Come along, Flynn." She grabs her boyfriend's hand and hauls him away. We watch in silence as they disappear into the elevator with Kristoff and Anna, plus a few other costumed girls.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Jack turns to me and pulls his hood down, raking a hand through his messy hair. His face is slightly red and warm-looking, possibly due to the hood containing an abundance of heat within for a while now.

I'm about to ask if he would like to cuddle and watch scary movies, which I would enjoy immensely, but instead I think of something even more exciting. "Why don't we go to the neighborhood outside of the Academy and just walk around? It's a perfect evening to do so."

Jack smiles and kisses me right on the nose. "That sounds great. Let's do it."


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey everyone, sorry for the long-ish wait. I've been busy with schoolwork and you all are probably familiar with that whole ordeal. Please bare with me if updates take some time to come along. I have also been infected with the dreaded writer's block... ugh, if anyone can possibly give me some suggestions or ideas for future chapters I will happily take it into consideration.**

**Okay, enough of my rambling, here's the next chapter! (I apologize if it's not as good as the others...)**

* * *

Jack and I walk down the hallway, hand in hand, towards the staircase. He suggested taking the stairs since it would be faster and we wouldn't have to stand around a group of talkative, scantily-dressed girls all wearing rather whorish costumes. As we pushed the door open and descended down the smooth cement stairs, Jack bolted ahead of me while mischievously saying, "Watch this!"

He grabbed the railing and heaved his legs up, resulting in his entire body swinging over. I felt my heart jump in my throat, rendering me unable to speak, but I instead leapt forwards and gripped the metal bars, my knuckles turning white as my fingers curled around the railing with intense pressure.

"Jack!" I called out and peered down. He stood at the bottom, unscathed and his head leaning up to look at me. Even though his white hood produced a dark shade over most of his face, I could still see his blue eyes sparkling with mischief and playfulness. I simultaneously sighed and rolled my eyes as I sped down the rest of the stairs and caught up with him.

"What the hell was that?" I scowled at him. "You could have hurt yourself!"

"Oh, quit worrying so much," He smirks. "I was just being an Assassin. And besides, I've done plenty of climbing trees and buildings when I was younger."

I gave him a look. "You climbed buildings when you were a child?"

"Well, only once, and that was my own house. It wasn't that big, so it was easy to get up and onto."

We continue out into the lobby where people were loitering around as well as streams of them coming in and out. Most of them were in costumes; I recognized one as Captain America, another as an elf, and a few girls garbed in sparkly dresses and colorful masks that resembled what Anna was wearing in a way. A crowd of young men passed, complimenting and showering Jack's costume with praise. He responded, "Thanks!" and gave them a thumbs-up.

"Your costume seems to be popular with the guys," I say as we near the exit.

"Yeah, I guess not many girls are familiar with video games," he says with a small shrug. As we were about to move out of the dormitory's lobby, a recognizable figure was coming forth, greeting us promptly. It was Hiccup, who was dressed in a Viking-styled costume with furred armor and a strange helmet.

"Hey Jack! Hey Elsa!" He acknowledges the two of us with a warm tone and wide emerald eyes. "Holy crap, you look awesome, Jack. Did you make that costume?"

"This?" Jack places both hands on his chest in aghast. "Oh, no way. I bought it from an online cosplay website."

"Oh?" Hiccup raises an eyebrow. "And how much did that cost?"

"Uh," Jack pulled off his hood and scratched his scruff uncomfortably. "Around… two hundred bucks…"

"What? You spent that much for a costume that you're only going to wear for today?" Hiccup snorted a laugh.

"I can't help that I love this character!" Jack was turning red, but he chuckled softly. "You never know, I might decide to put this on in the middle of the night and run around campus shouting, 'Kill all Templars!' at the top of my lungs." I giggled and had to look away the hide to contorted look of mirth upon my face.

"Oh my God, you should totally do that. I _will_ pay you." Hiccup says with a crooked grin.

"Nah, dude, that's just embarrassing. Well, perhaps…" Jack cups his chin with a hand and strokes it ponderingly.

"Don't you dare!" I cuffed his arm. "I don't want to be a laughing stock because of my boyfriend's foolish actions."

"Aw, you're cute when you're upset," Jack leans over and pecks me on the cheek. I smirk and grab his face with both hands, pulling him in for a full kiss on the lips.

"Whoa, Edward and Katniss are getting frisky. I better take my leave then…" Hiccup begins to slowly walk away but Jack gives him a slight glare as we retracted apart from our affection.

"Wait a minute," Jack crosses his arms and looks at Hiccup with a smug expression. "What are you supposed to be? You look a Viking and Thor had a baby, but it turned out horribly wrong." Hiccup looked down at his own costume that consisted of faux fur, foam armor, and duct tape. His eyes shot back up to glare at Jack, his lower lip slightly pouting.

"Oh har har," Hiccup mutters. "Are you saying you have no clue who I am? Come on, Jack, it's the hero from one of your favorite video games!"

Jack gazed at scrawny brunet in silence. His arms were folded across his chest, fingers delicately stroking at the smooth leather of his forearm braces. Hiccup rolled his eyes as he noted his friend's sudden quietness.

"I'll give you a hint: _FUS RO DAH!_"

As if an alarm went off in his head, Jack perked up in excitement, his arms unraveling from around him. "Ooh! Dragonborn! Ah, yes, sorry, I wasn't thinking straight."

"Obviously," Hiccup smirked. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get going now." He smiles and waves to me, but smacks Jack on the arm without saying anything. Jack chuckles and rubs his arm; he turns around to stare at Hiccup as he walked through a crowd of girls dressed in various costumes and disappeared.

"Well, that was interesting," I grin at Jack with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah," He drew his hood back over his head with a hand and inched closer to me. I stared up into his face and made out his blue eyes that nearly glowed through the faint shadow. He bent down to catch my lips in a quick kiss while grabbing my hand afterwards. His calloused hand felt warm against my own, and I pressed my fingers harder into his grasp. "Let's go," he says to me, but it sounded almost like susurration being passed along the wind.

We reached the outside where the breezy evening air collided with my face. I shook around my head as the chill sunk into my skin, amusingly allowing my braid to fling from shoulder to shoulder. The sky was already smothered by a blanket of darkness and the full moon perched low on the horizon, radiating silvery moonlight upon the ground. People of all ages wandered the cobblestone pathways crisscrossing around the campus and for once I actually got a glimpse of the younger children that attended the Academy.

I would normally only see people my age or a bit younger, but now that it was Halloween, a holiday that both youths and adults enjoy, I watched the kids frolic around. A few of them carried dazzling lights that broke through the darkness of the night, and I couldn't help but stare at it as they walked by.

"You know, this is j – " I began to speak, but as I looked to my side for Jack, he had vanished. I stopped in my tracks, my eyes flickering all around me for my mischievous boyfriend.

_Dear God, where is he now?_

I veered off of the pathway to avoid getting in the way of oncoming packs of children and adults alike, and stepped into the grassed area.

"Jack!" I hissed out, but it felt like I was calling to no one. "Where the hell are you…?" I muttered only to myself. I heard gasps trickling with admiration followed by cheers; it sounded like it was coming from a group of children. I cranked my head around toward the noise and saw, as I had predicted, a crowd of youths, with a few adults mingled in there, observing a spectacle before them. I moved closer and realized that they were watching a figure scurry up trees as well as vaulting over numerous obstacles, such as brick walls or benches.

My eyes narrowed and trained on the shadowy figure and I caught the trace of white, along with the streak of a red sash. One thought raced to my head and one thought only: Jack. That was definitely him, but what was he thinking? I was slightly irritated that he had abandoned me without notice. But as I witnessed the kids around me giggling and clearly loving Jack's little show, I felt a smile grow widely on my face.

Jack threw both arms around the trunk of a skinny oak tree and lifted himself up into the branches. He carefully climbed the last bit of a jutting limb and paused, overlooking his obvious audience. He waved to us and most of the kids returned his friendly gesture, but I stood with that smile still marked on me. Jack then jumped off of the branch, plummeting to the ground which was a good five or so feet below. My breath hitched in my throat as I watched him fall, but I relaxed from my tension as he did a roll and came back onto his two feet, unharmed and grinning.

The children applauded him with cheers and whistles; a few even ran up to greet and hug his legs as if he was their hero. A steady 'aww' echoed in my head and I clutched my hands against my chest. He was so calm and gentle and sweet with them that it melted my heart. One little boy waddled up to him and raised his chubby arms up to him. The boy was dressed as a pirate from what I could see, and Jack made a big deal out of it. He crouched down to the boy's height and stirred up a playful conversation, a crooked grin fixed on his face.

After Jack greeted the rest of the children and talked to some older guys who were clearly interested, the crowd disbanded, leaving only me in the middle of the pathway. Jack saw me and his face lit up, his legs immediately striding forward to meet up with me.

"What were you doing?" I ask in a serious tone, but I still gave him a tiny smile. "Ah, never mind. What you did with those children was _adorable_."

He pecked me on the cheek. "Really? I'm glad you liked it. I decided to give them a little show, you know? Show off my parkour abilities and all." He brushes off his sleeves as if there was dust embedded in them, and the glint of a silly grin was flung my way.

"You're ridiculous," I giggle. "but in a good way."

He chuckles and we walk together on the path out of the Academy. The opened golden gate leading out was strung up with glittering orange lights that were speckles among the dark night. People were flowing in as we went out; all were in costumes: classic, creative, strange… you name it. The city out in the distance glowed busily with rushing cars and bright illuminations that was none other than Times Square most likely.

Jack and I turned into the direction toward the neighborhood. Minutes fly by before I began to see the traces of Halloween decorations strewn upon houses and across lawns. The street that was once quiet and desolated merely a month ago when we went to the fraternity party was now bustling with activity. Children bounced along the sidewalks with their parents following closely behind. They all looked so jubilant with wide smiles and infectious giggling coming out of their tiny mouths.

I smiled as a trio of little girls ran pass me, their small hands clutching orange pumpkin buckets and toothy grins set on their faces. Jack wrapped an arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him, sighing as he nuzzled the loose bang of my hairline.

"I've never told anyone this, but…" I shifted my head up a bit so that I had a clear view of his midnight blue eyes. "I love children. I know, it's a random thing to say, but it's the truth."

A chuckle rumbles in Jack's throat. "It's alright, and I feel the same way."

"I think you'd made a great father," I blurt out unintentionally. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from muttering crude curses to myself for saying that rather embarrassing remark. Jack looks at me, surprise swimming in his blue orbs, and at that very moment I notice that there are gray specks scattered in his irises like sprinkles on an ice cream cone.

"Oh, you think so?" He grins wickedly, but slight sheepishness conveys in his expression. "And I think you would made a great mother,"

Warmth spreads across my cheeks and I tear my gaze from Jack, instead staring into the paved ground with shy smile. Why were we talking about this again? Oh yeah, because I brought it up in the first place. As much as I love the idea of starting a family with Jack, this kind of conversation always makes me feel squeamish in the stomach. It must just be the awkwardness that was literally floating in the air as silence falls upon us. I count each step I take, listening to the muffled clank that my boots made.

"Frost!" There was a sudden booming, masculinity-dripping voice call from behind. Jack was first to swirl around, and then I turned around more slowly; a stocky middle-aged man with a balding head and a tightened face moved rapidly over to us. His abrupt appearance made me a little nervous, scared, actually.

"Coach!" Jack exclaims in a frantic tone. "Uh, how did you know it was me?"

"I could tell by your lanky form and the way you walked," he says gruffly. "Why weren't you at practice earlier today?"

"Well – uh – you see…" Jack scratched at his chin that was beginning to accumulate with fair whiskers.

"Did you ditch," The man sighed. "again?"

"Ditch? Me? Why I would ne – " Jack paused midsentence as his coach gave him an intimidating stare. His face fell and he huffed. "Oh, oh okay, you got me. Yes, I did ditch. But it was just for today! I promise if won't happen again."

"So you bailed on hockey practice just so you could go trick-or-treating with – " The man casted his dark eyes on me, and I suddenly became rigid with fear. "_Her._ By the way, who exactly are you, lass?"

"Uh, I-I'm Elsa, Jack's girlfriend, s-sir…" The words nearly became tangled on my tongue; they were impossible to even speak.

"Girlfriend?" The coach's eyes widened, looking at me, and then it diverted to Jack. "You never told me you have a girlfriend!"

"Uh, yeah, we've been dating for about three months," Jack says and his coach is silent, his mouth set into a tight line.

"Aw, well now ain't that sweet," he says with a hint of sarcasm. "Listen, Frost, I'll let you off with a warning for now. If I ever catch you ditching practice again, there will be severe consequences."

"Y-yes, sir," Jack gives him a salute with a finger and attempts to put on smile.

"Good, make sure to be at practice first thing tomorrow morning. Oh and because of your little rendezvous away, you will have to do stair climbing before going on the ice, understand?"

Jack groans softly, but not loud or noticeable enough for his coach to overhear. "Yeah, Coach, I understand." The man nods curtly and brushes pass us, not bothering to say anything more or even look back. We watch as he dissolves into a crowd of children and adults, his chunky physique now completely blocked by another taller man. Jack turns to peer at me, his cheeks partially stained red.

"Well..." he clears his throat. "That was surely a…_ spooky_ encounter, eh?"


	24. Chapter 24

**~Two weeks later~**

**Jack's POV**

After my Literature class on one Friday afternoon, I decided to return straight to my dorm without bothering to get lunch. I was not hungry anyway. My feet carried me sluggishly to the Crystal dormitory and I had my backpack slung loosely over a shoulder, my hand gently grasping at the strap with little to no strength at all. It's not that I was weary; I'm just insanely bored out of my mind. Even though I was doing rather well in all of my classes, the overall repetitiveness of learning new subjects and cramming for huge tests was getting tiresome.

My professor in Literature just assigned us to read _The Tempest_ by William Shakespeare by next week and analyze every little bit of it. Can college get any more difficult? At least the semester was ending soon and I could look forward to my much easier classes next semester; but then again, I have the misery of struggling to study and mentally preparing myself for finals. That should be a fun time.

I pushed open the doors to the dormitory while holding it for a few girls who were making their way out. They murmured their thanks and I just nodded in return, keeping my lips in a tight line. I moved over to the elevators and slid into the vacant lift that was currently abandoned by someone who mistakenly, or purposely, pressed the ascending button. My finger tapped the lighted button labeled 2 and waited patiently for the doors to close. But just as the doors were to shut, a hand shoots in between the slit, disrupting the motion and forcing them back open.

I look on, eyes slightly widened, at a young man standing on the other side. He scurries in and stands next to me. I take a step away so that I'm not too close to him. He fidgets with the messenger bag over his chest and brushes down his crinkled clothing.

"Oh boy! That was a close one," he breathes a sigh of relief. I turn my head so that I could look at him, and that's when the realization hits me. He is vaguely familiar to me and I recognize him as the man I encountered a month or two ago on this very elevator. He's the one that confessed sexually obscene remarks about Elsa to me; however, this was before me and her started dating, but I still felt the bubbling heat of fury rise within me at his ignorant self.

No girl should ever deserve a scumbag like himself, and no girl should ever be thought the same way as he sought for Elsa. My hands clenched into fists and my fingernails were digging into the palms, triggering a nagging sting that made me bite my bottom lip, but I remained still, rigid with uneasiness. I brought my head straightforward again and trained my eyes into the carpeted floor of the elevator. To my complete misfortune, the man looks over to me, and I can see it clearly out of the corner of my eye.

"Hey! I recognize you…" he says with a cheerful tone. Why is he being so happy with me? More importantly, why is he even speaking to me? He has to remember the time I frightened him and nearly caved his face in with my fist. That should have really scarred a person, but this guy was persistent. I force myself to crank my neck so that I am staring him in the eyes. As I inspect his face, I come to the conclusion that this is definitely the guy I met a while ago.

He has brown hair that is neatly brushed back and hazel eyes that gleam under the bright lights of the elevator. There is a smug smirk twisted onto his lips and I yearn so desirably to wipe it right off his pretty face. I don't respond to him or utter a sound, but instead just stare at him. He looks taken aback and his face sinks, crestfallen. I don't realize it until now, but I am giving him a glare.

"Why are you talking to me?" I say, my voice coming out as if it was gnarled with venomous hatred.

"Look, buddy," He slaps a hand on my back and I stiffen, my arm shaking as it craves to rise up and strike him with a hardened fist. "I know we got off on the wrong foot some time ago, and I remember that," he pauses and is quiet for a moment, most likely having a flashback on that mishap. "But I would like to start all over again. Perhaps we can be friends?"

"Friends?" I scoff at the word and shrink farther back away from him. "Why would I be friends with an insolent asshole who sexualized the girl I love?"

My very words are like a freight train ramming right into the man. He is motionless, his face tight and the muscle beneath an eye twitching. His lips pinch into a line that looks almost like a frown, but not quite. But his face brightens up with a smile like a light bulb that was switched on.

"Ouch, that hurts," he says with a smirk. "But come on, can't you just let me apologize and we can move on?"

The elevator doors slide open and I step out, not responding to him or even glancing back.

"Hey! Wait, Jack!"

I stop in my tracks as my very own name cascades out of his mouth, flinging through the air like a Frisbee and hitting me right in the back of the head. How could he possibly know my name? I have only met him twice, then and now, and he already knows my name? I turn around and watch him as he runs up.

"What did you call me?" I murmur, eyes burning into his. "How the _hell_ do you know my name?"

I see him gulp nervously, the Adam's apple lodged in his throat bobbing up and down. "Uh, I've been hearing your name being tossed around the campus! Yeah, that's it. You're just popular, I guess."

"Huh?" I raise an eyebrow. "Is there a rumor spreading around about me or something?"

"No!" He waves his hands frantically in front of him, his face pale with anxiety. "I just…remember hearing about the fight you were involved in with… some prick, right?"

"Yeah," I mutter. "Yeah, he was."

"Well, okay!" He says and sighs incoherently. "Hey, to make up for all of the 'wrongdoings' I have done, how would you like to come party at a nightclub?" I shoot him a look and he suddenly appears fearful under my gaze. Am I really _that_ intimidating? I may not be Bunny when he's pissed, but come on now.

"A nightclub, huh?" I let the word 'nightclub' roll along my tongue like a piece of hard candy. I have only been to a few, and they prove to be fun and sustainable. They were way better than any fraternity party.

"Y-yeah!" The man stutters slightly and his eyes dart around wildly. "My fraternity is having a little get together at the _Nocturnal Nightclub _tonight in downtown New York City. Would you like to hang? You can bring some of your friends too!"

I look at the man with great suspicion. He didn't look like much of a threat, but who knows the dangers that could be lurking out there. Reluctantly, I nodded my head in agreement. I may not trust him wholly; however, having some fun at a nightclub wouldn't hurt.

"Okay, I'll come. But if I see you anywhere near my girlfriend, or even some of my friends who are girls, I will not hesitant to tear you to shreds, _comprende?"_

"Y-yes! Of course!" The man nods his head quickly, and I start to see a film of sweat forming on his forehead.

"By the way, what's your name? I can't just keep referring you as 'that guy'," I say.

"Marcus," he responds and holds out a shaky hand.

I look at his extended hand and jeer at his foolishness. "Look_, Marcus_," I say in between partially gritted teeth. "I may be going to that nightclub, but I'm hell as not your friend."

"Oh, okay, that's fine." He retracts his hand and presses it into his thigh.

"Good, I'm glad we settled that," I offer him a smile, and it's the first kind gesture that I have made toward him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get going now. Please don't ever bother talking to me again." I turn back around, not giving him a chance to respond, and travel down the long stretch of hallway to my room.

I'm eager to tell all of my friends about the nightclub visit tonight, but there is a gnawing pain in my abdomen that just doesn't want to go away. I feel as if I should not go, just to remain on the safe side, but I'm probably just being paranoid. Marcus may be somewhat of a jerk, but when it comes to partying at nightclubs, I cannot say no.

My hand finds the doorknob and I twist it open. As I step through the doorway and into the room, I come to an abrupt stop as my eyes catch a rather surprising act going on inside. Kristoff and Anna sit on the couch behind the coffee table and adjacent from the television; they are busying themselves by _kissing_, and not just a few pecks on the lips, but it was more of an extreme make out session. Their clothes are still on and intact, which is a good sign.

I stand there for – perhaps more than a whole minute – and continue staring at the couple kissing. I knew this was going to happen eventually and I'm glad they are finally to that point, but why must I have to walk in on it? This is the most awkward thing ever. My presence still has not intervened their romantic moment so I kick the door close, resulting in a loud bang. Kristoff and Anna jolt apart and two pairs of eyes are drilling into me. They are both red with bashfulness and Anna covers her face with both hands as she realizes I was watching them the entire time.

"Well, well," I smirk as I walk over to my bed and drop my backpack onto the fleece-sheeted mattress. "You two having fun?"

"Jack!" Kristoff exclaims and jumps up onto his feet. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I live here, so why not?" I move closer to him and now I can clearly see the flustered glimmer in his light brown orbs. "I know you guys are embarrassed, but don't be! Just loosen up a bit, it's not like I will make a big deal out of it. So… are you two officially together?"

"Obviously, since we were just making out a moment ago," Kristoff remarks sarcastically, but he grins at me.

"How exciting," I say and walk over to the small kitchenette where I search through the refrigerator for a bottle of soda. "I was invited to go to a nightclub tonight." I see Kristoff and Anna both shift their gazes on me from my peripheral vision.

"You did? By who?" Kristoff asks and moves next to me, grabbing a bottle of cream soda from inside the refrigerator.

"Uh, a guy named Marcus," I say lowly and scratch at my arm. "But that's not important. What _is_ important is that you guys are welcome to come along with me."

"Ooh, I love nightclubs!" Anna bursts out and rises up from her seat upon the couch. "Where's it at?"

"Nocturnal Nightclub," My fingers slide around the cold metal of a Sprite can and I pull it out, afterwards pushing the fridge door close.

"I heard that place is beast," Kristoff says.

"Oh? I've never been there before. Let's just hope nothing bad happens…" I cast my eyes into the floor. A majority of calamities could occur: a bar brawl, health issues, or maybe even a fight breaks out that could take an enormous turn and end up killing someone in the end. I shiver at the gruesome thought; I suddenly feel as if my stomach was twisted into many knots, but I ignore the effects and look at Kristoff who is giving me a quizzical expression.

"I don't think so. The worst that could happen is someone getting over-the-top wasted and possibly causing trouble around the club." Kristoff says with a small shrug. I nod slowly at his remark but remain silent. I still feel uneasy about this whole situation; questions of concern bounce around my head like a dodge ball, wrapping my brain up with its doubtful fingers. I pop the lid open on the Sprite can and lift it up to my lips. The sweet, bubbly liquid awakens my numb taste buds and I straighten my spine with a quick move. As hesitant as I was, I decided that I was going anyways.

"So, you guys are coming, right?" I ask.

"Definitely!" Kristoff answers with a toothy smile. "Who else is coming?"

"Well, you can invite any of your own friends. Hopefully I can convince Elsa to come, and I might as well invite Hiccup." I say while smoothing down my wrinkled hoodie on the stomach.

"Yeah, the kid always isolates himself from others and ends up playing video games in the dorm. A little fun at the nightclub should bring some excitement into his life." Kristoff walks up to Anna's side and catches her into an embrace, nuzzling his nose into the strawberry-blonde hairs upon her head. She giggles and pecks his stubbly check.

As they offer affectionate love to each other, I dig through my pocket and pull out my phone. Using only one hand, I unlock the screen and scroll down my contact list for Elsa. I should probably text her to come on over to my dorm. It would better to tell her about the nightclub in person rather than through a simple text.

_Jack – Hey, love ;) Do you mind coming to my dorm? I have to tell you something._

* * *

When Elsa arrived – just fresh from her Architecture class – I announced the details about the nightclub trip tonight. She appeared skeptical at first which I understood. After what happened at the fraternity party and probably some parties in the past, she has shown disdain toward them. But after some convincing and begging from me, Kristoff, and Anna, she finally agreed to it; however, she made it clear that she wasn't going to drink or get that into the clubbing.

We agreed as a group to meet at the club around seven tonight, giving me enough time to prep. Elsa and Anna left the dorm to go back to their own, and I was alone with Kristoff and Hiccup – and Hiccup had just returned from his classes, which he rants about giving too much homework and blaming it for his personal problems. As he rambles on about it, with Kristoff partially listening, I walk over to the wooden door that encases my closet behind its hinges.

Inside, I pull out a pair of dark blue jeans, brown boots, a royal blue collared jacket, and a gray shirt to wear within. I scurry over to the bathroom and shut the door, proceeding to strip off my current clothes and slip into my new outfit. When I step out, adjusting the collar to my jacket so that it's neat and straight, I take notice to Kristoff and Hiccup gaming on the Xbox again. My eyes focus on the screen and all I can pick out are colorful images and blazing guns; it was mostly likely some first-person shooter.

I move over to stand behind the couch where they lounge, watching in silence at their gaming session. They are too engrossed that they don't even acknowledge my sudden presence. But I say nothing; I just remain watching, and trying to stifle back a chuckle as Kristoff kills Hiccup for probably the fourth time again.

* * *

Seven o'clock slowly approaches and Kristoff leaves early with Anna. He claims that she wanted a quick bite to eat before going off to the nightclub. Hiccup lingers behind for a bit, but eventually departs as well with a short wave to me before stepping out of the room. I have texted Elsa already, telling her to come on over to my dorm so that we could go together. I pace back and forth, my fingers twirling the eagle pendant attached to the silver chain around my neck.

There is a soft knock at the door and I speed over, unlatching the lock and swinging to open to reveal Elsa on the other side. She is wearing a light blue dress that ends in ruffles right above her knees, a dark shawl that covers her bare shoulders, and black flats. Her pale blonde hair was rearranged in the usual braid that was draped over a shoulder, encrusted with small snowflake hair-clips. Pastel purple mascara coated her eyes, bringing out the bright blueness of her irises and her fair cheeks were slightly rosy with blush – artificial blush that is – not real.

Her lips that glimmered with magenta lipstick puckered happily at the sight of me. She looked striking beautiful. Not that she wasn't beautiful all the time, that was a definite lie, but she looked particular different tonight. It was a good different, though. She was irresistibly sexy – yeah – that was the word.

I couldn't help myself. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around her rather petite waist, lifting her off the ground and twirling around. She yelped in surprise at my sudden motion, but she began to giggle, a sweet and repetitive sound that was like music to my ears.

"Jack! Put me down!" She managed between laughing, but she was clearly enjoying herself. I placed her gently upon her feet and released my grip, grinning sheepishly at her. "What was that for?" she asks, but she smiles and does not seem to be annoyed or uneasy.

"I just-" I shrugged and looked down, raking a hand shakily through my hair. My lips trembled in anticipation to say the exact words I was thinking. I want to, but how would Elsa react? It doesn't matter; I build up my inner confidence and direct my eyes back on her. I felt slightly nervous as her wide eyes bore into me, waiting to hear what I had to say.

"I just really love you, Elsa." I finally say, barely even audible; it was more of a timid murmur. But Elsa has heard me, she definitely heard all right. She looks at me as a deer would when caught in the headlights of a vehicle. I am flustered, fearful actually. I have never told that I loved her before. Even through the undying love and affectionate gestures, neither of us had said 'I love you' to each other at all. The air around us was still, suffocating me with gripping silence.

"Really? You…love me?" Elsa spoke softly, her gaze piercing into my own.

"Of course. I have since the day I first laid eyes on you. You are my sun, my moon, and all of my stars. Hell, you are my everything." I say with no regrets whatsoever. A grin tugs at my lips and I let it show. Elsa looks as if she may burst into tears. Her eyes are shiny and she covers she mouth with a hand, the other gripping at the silky fabric of her dress. She says nothing, not even a noise was uttered, and her smaller frame stepped forward to catch me in an embrace.

She rests her head upon my chest, nuzzling her nose into the unzipped lining of my jacket. I return her hug in an instant, cradling her in my arms. The smell of perfume, delicate and sweet, wafts off of her and infiltrates my nostrils in faint waves. Everything about her is intoxicating: her hair, her eyes, her voice, her personality, and even her soft touch.

Elsa retracts her head from my chest and looks up into my eyes. She places her hand on my cheek and gently strokes the skin with a finger. My breath hitches in my breath and I can only stare back at her, awestruck. Before I'm even fully aware, she presses her lips onto mine while her hand trails to the back of my neck, meekly scratching at the scruff. She mumbles something against my lips. It's slightly muffled and I'm so immersed in the kiss that I barely hear it.

"_I love you, too."_


	25. Chapter 25

**Prepare your feelings, everyone. It's going to get very intense and angsty through this chapter and the next few.**

* * *

The stoplight turned green and I pressed down the pedal to advance forward, but only to stop again from more congested traffic. I muttered a curse and slumped down into my seat, allowing my hand to grip the top of the steering wheel loosely. Elsa sat in the passenger seat beside me, her legs closed together and hands clasped in her lap, twitching ever so often to smooth down her ruffled dress.

She looked tense and rigid, as if there was a worry gnawing from the inside, causing her to be so nervous. I glanced briefly at her from the side. Her eyes were casted down at her hands, lips pursed into a tight line, and her leg shuddered infrequently. I had the impulse to say something, to ask her what was bothering her, but I kept silent as the cars ahead of me slowly rolled onward.

I turned right at the next stoplight, and there is was: the nightclub was held in a low-roofed building enclosed by two taller skyscrapers. Neon lights that read _Nocturnal Nightclub_ dazzled in glowing blue colors upon the upper deck of the structure, followed by a picture of a crescent moon and tiny glittering stars. There was already a long line of patrons leading into the club, and I groaned softly.

Elsa noticed my irritated grouse and asks, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head. _That's exactly what I wanted to ask you._ "Uh, it's nothing. The line to the club is just awfully long." Elsa leans forward in her seat to get a better view at the nightclub which was only a hundred feet or so in front of us on the left.

"Ah, well, it's not too bad. We can wait it out." She says and shifts in her seat to get in a more comfortable position.

I nod and steer the car into a slightly cramped parking lot located a few blocks away from the actual club. It's filled to the brim, and I'm struggling to find a spot. As I begin to boil with frustration, Elsa points out a free space and I snap my eyes to it, smiling a little as I direct the vehicle into it and then adjusting the wheels so that they point straight. I unlatch my seat belt and step out of the car, running around so that I may assist Elsa as she comes out as well.

"What a gentleman," she says with a smile as I offer a hand and pull her out.

"Anything for my princess," I grin and press a kiss to her temple.

"Queen," She corrects me and looks to me with smiling eyes that appear as glistening blue pools under the streetlights.

"Oh, of course. My sincere apologizes, your Majesty." I take a small bow and she giggles, placing a hand over her mouth as if to suppress them. I always found that little gesture adorable. "Shall we continue onwards to the club?" I say and she nods.

"We may." I lace my fingers with hers, mentally sighing as her soft skin meshes up to mine, and ultimately calming my overly nervous self. The two of us cautiously cross a busy street that, luckily, was free of any moving cars or traffic as we stepped up to the edge of the sidewalk. The club was a few blocks away and we slowly made our way toward it, exchanging a few words or sentences but not having a full conversation. I was still racked by anxiety; what if something terribly wrong happens? There is an uneasy feeling bubbling in the pit of my stomach, and I do not like it at all.

We arrive at the end of the line disappearing into the club, and I'm relieved to see that it has shortened. There was a bouncer guarding the entrance of the club and allowed people in as they went; he was a hulking man with a shaved head and wore all black, including dark shades that concealed his eyes.

"What if the bouncer doesn't let us in?" I whisper to Elsa who is clinging onto my arm.

"I doubt that. We're both over twenty-one and we don't look like troublemakers, right?" Elsa says, and I nod. "Plus, we can just say your friend, Marcus, invited us."

My eyebrows sunk into a scowl and I glared into the paved sidewalk. "We are _not_ friends…" I mutter.

"Oh?" Elsa gives me a look. "Why is that?" I feel my face grow warm and redden. I fumble for words to tell her; come on, just say something, anything.

"No particular reason. It's… nothing." I say and Elsa shrugs, dropping the subject. The line guides us along and we finally make it to the entrance. The twin metal doors are open wide and as I look far into the dim lighted hallway slanting downwards, I see colorful strobe beams and hear the muffled pounding of loud music.

"Hold it," The bouncer raises a hand that stops us in place. "I need to see ID's."

"Ah, sure." I give him a charming smile, but he doesn't look too fazed or friendly about it. Elsa whips out her ID before I do and shows it to the bouncer. He glances at it before jamming a thumb in the direction of the entrance. I get out my own ID and he glimpses at it, his stern face not faltering out of the expressionless state.

"Okay. You two may go in."

I bob my head respectfully and lead Elsa down the hallway, her arm looped through mine. We enter a much larger room filled to the brim with people conversing, drinking, or just wildly dancing to the music. Rays of glaring red and pink lights streak over me and Elsa, and as I look down at my brown leather jacket, it has turned a bright crimson before fading back to normal. The music gradually falls to a low hum, but then rises into a chorus of danceable beats and rhythms. The audience howls in pleasure to the new music choice.

Elsa looks around, her face radiating with a gleaming smile. "This is awesome!" she exclaims, and then grabs my hand, hauling me deeper into the mass of bodies on the dance floor. "Come on, let's go find our friends." Believe it or not, we actually encounter Kristoff and Anna just as we delve into the crowd. They dance together, pressing up into each other with sensual movements. The strobe lights scatter across them, lighting Anna's face green and Kristoff's blue. I can actually see the grins on their faces through the dimness of the room, despite the dancing beams.

"Anna! Kris!" Elsa calls out to them and they break out of their trace, focusing on us with bright eyes.

"Hi, strangers!" Anna smiles as she moves up, pulling Kristoff along with her. "This place is so much fun!" Kristoff nods in complete agreement; his cheeks are slightly rosy and I can't tell if he was just hot or had a bit too much to drink.

"I can see that!" Elsa responds as she cranks her neck around, observing our surroundings as well as gazing in awe at the gorgeous lightshow displaying everywhere. The music sinks from the rhythmical beats to a more defined pop song. I'm not a huge fan of that musical genre, but I recognize the song belonging to a boy band; I'm not sure who though…

"Oh my God, I love this song!" Anna shouts over the music and noises from the people around us. Kristoff groans incoherently, but he endures the displeasure of it and continues moving his body in unison with Anna. Elsa bounces excitedly in place; her loose bangs fall upon her forehead, but she pushes it back briskly with a hand.

"Let's go dance, Jack!" She holds out a hand and her eyes beg desirably to me.

I stand still and shake my head, giving her an apologetic grin as I did. "Sorry, but I don't dance."

"Oh come on! We didn't come to this nightclub just to stand around and mope!" Elsa says.

I remain stubborn and shrug my shoulders, pressing my lips together. "Tell you what, I'm going to go get a drink and you can dance with Anna and Kristoff to warm you up. I'll be back, and then we can dance."

"Well, okay," Elsa looks insignificantly suspicious, but she gives me a firm nod of her head. "Just don't drink _too_ much, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." I peck her on the cheek and turn away, pushing through both dancers and drunkards before finally breaching the surface. A small bar sits against the wall and I walk up to the counter. The bartender, a young man in a midnight blue and black uniform, greets me and asks what I would like.

"Eh, I'll just have a bottle of your finest beer," I say and pull out wade of one dollar bills, sliding it toward him upon the granite counter top.

"I'm not sure what the best beer we have is," The bartender purses his lips. "but is Samuel Adams okay with you? It's the best in my opinion."

"Yeah, that'll do. Thanks." I watch as he stoops to retrieve something from under the bar and brings out a glass cup and a brown-tinted beer bottle. He pops off them metal cap and pours the amber liquid into the cup. I look as the foam rises just to the rim, and then slowly sinks into a flurry of bubbles.

"Enjoy." The bartender nods and rushes away to serve another patron. I pick the glass up and take a quick sip, cringing slightly as the bitterness of the alcohol slithers down my throat. I place the cup back down and bask in the sour aftertaste that numbs my taste buds for a moment. Just as I was about to take another swig of my drink, someone calls out for me from behind. I look over my shoulder and see Marcus bounding up to me. I try my best to restrain a groan of frustration.

"Hey, bud!" He plops himself down in the seat next to me. I don't look at him. My lips curve into a thin snarl as I continue to see him stare me down out of the corner of my eye. Why can't this guy just leave me alone? I take a sip from my glass and remain silent.

"Anyways…how are you doing?" he persists.

"What did I say about talking to me?" I ask curtly.

"Oh, don't be such a downcast!" Marcus smirks. "I just wanted to say hi."

"Shouldn't you be hanging out with your fraternity people?" I finish the rest of my cup and reach over for the bottle to pour some more.

"I lost them among the crowd," he says. "And besides, I was coming by here to grab a drink and saw you! What a coincidence, eh?" I grunt as if to agree with him, but I wasn't trying to. He drums his fingers along the counter top and directs his eyes to the bartender who is talking with a customer. I relax my shoulders as soon as I know he isn't staring at me anymore.

"Yo, barman!" He calls out and the bartender looks to him, swiftly walking over.

"How can I help you, sir?" he asks.

"I'll have whatever he's having," Marcus jabs a thumb to me. I say nothing and swallow another mouthful of the pungent booze. I can't help but keep on drinking it even though it tastes terrible. The bartender nods and reaches under to pour the beer bottle in a cup. He hands the drink to Marcus and he gives a thankful bob of his head. As soon as the bartender leaves, I see Marcus slowly withdraw his hand into the pocket of his jeans, fingers fumbling within. I barely notice it, but it catches my attention. However, I don't say anything about it.

"Hey, what's that over there?" Marcus points to something behind me with a finger.

"Huh?" I look over and see nothing out of the ordinary. There was just a mob of dancing figures outlined in the dark and strobe lights, as well as a few stragglers standing on the outskirts of the dance floor, drinking and chattering with others. I raise an eyebrow, suspicious on why Marcus made me look at nothing in particular, and turn back to stare at him. He beams at me with a smug grin; his face was slightly red, covered in a thin film of sweat, and innocence – which looks overly deceitful – smears his expression.

"What was that for? I didn't see anything." I say.

"Oh, sorry, I thought I saw someone you knew." He shrugs. "I guess they disappeared. Anyways, shall we clink glasses?" I curl my fingers around my glass and look into my drink. It appears slightly discolored, resembling a light copper – with the hint of gray – instead of dark amber. I ignore the fact and raise my glass, grumbling as if to say 'sure'.

"Cheers, to a great night ahead!" As we tap glasses together, producing a soft ring, I throw my head back and down the rest of my glass. The liquid now tastes unnaturally bittersweet. It still has that acidic and sour zest to it, but it tastes as if someone had dumped a sugar packet into the alcohol, turning it lightly sweet. As the beer slides down my throat and into my stomach, I suddenly feel dizzy.

The world around me spins. I struggle to focus, but all the images and colors have turned into a swirl of blurry shapes. I try to speak, to utter a word of some kind, but all that comes out are slurred jumbles of sounds. Marcus shifts beside me and stands up from his chair, chuckling deviously.

He bends over and whispers into my ear, "Have fun, Jack." After that, he walks away, abandoning me with my own intoxicated self. But wait, I was not drunk; I was drugged. Marcus must have slipped something into my drink when I was distracted. I could not think clearly; my mind was racing with loopy imagery and noises. My vigilance was gone, drained away by the unknown substance that had now overtaken my body, controlling my every move and rendering me completely unpredictable.

I attempted to delve deep in my brain, to remember anything, anyone that was considered close to me. I came out unsuccessful; the drug was powerful, oh so powerful… I stood up from my seat, legs wobbly and body swaying from side to side. Even though I felt sickly under the drug's influence, I also felt alive, energetic. Yes, I wanted to do something daring, something that will satisfy this burning hunger for defiance and thrill.

I began walking, taking uneven steps, and shakily directed myself toward the nightclub's lounge. It was an area in the corner of the room that was meant to rest or just lie around and talk to friends. Plump couches and chairs covered in leathery cushions lined most of the space; the lounge was not terribly full. A few people sat upon couches sitting adjacent from each other. I moved in that direction, tripping over my own two feet occasionally but not falling. I walked pass a solid column and had to steady myself on it as I nearly tumbled to the ground.

Some bystanders gave me strange looks at my disorderly behavior, but none came to aid me. Everything around me was nothing but a blur. I was not able to focus with much clarity on anything. I bumped into a handful of people along the way, who exclaimed in either surprise or annoyance, and all I did was laugh unwarily under my breath.

The feeling of a hand weighed down on my arm stopped me in my tracks. I spun around to meet the bright eyes of a young woman – and holy shit, was she gorgeous. Her hair fell in brown waves down her shoulders and the bangs curled along the hairline of her forehead. Her eyes, which were the color of a gleaming emerald gemstone, flickered over my face in a worried yet glamorous manner. I was fixated onto her, and she seemed to be the only person in this entire room that I could see clearly.

"Are you okay?" she asks, her voice the sound of an angelic symphony.

"Uhh, umm," I mumbled, engrossed with her beauty that had me mesmerized and negligent with my genuine self. There was another thought tugging at the back of my mind. I think I was already in love with someone else, but who was it? This drug was clouding my head with amnesia. I could not remember anything else besides the fact that I was standing before such a beautiful woman.

"Wow, aren't you handsome," The woman purrs as if she had completely forgotten all about my eccentric condition. I can't help myself; I lean in, grabbing both of her wrists, and press my lips to hers. There isn't anything special about them. I don't feel a spark of true love or warmth that spreads from your lips and travels down to the rest of your body. It's just a simple kiss, but oddly enough, it feels so damn good. My mind once again is fuzzy and I am numb to the world. For a moment, I forget that we are still kissing, and then she secretes a low moan under my lips.

We pull apart and she looks to me with widen eyes, her lips partially open as if she was awestruck by what had just happen. Then I hear a loud gasp to my right, followed by a muffled sob. As if a chord was struck from inside my brain, I immediately recognize that noise anywhere. I look to my side and my breath hitches in my throat.

Elsa stands there, hands covering her mouth and tears beginning to stream down her face, sending a messy dark flow of mascara down her cheeks.

The sight of her snaps me out of my drugged trance, and I stare at her, heart thumping painfully against my ribcage.

I push the woman away from me and reach out, calling Elsa's name.

But she was already gone.


	26. Chapter 26

My first instinct was to chase after Elsa, to console her, to explain that this was all a big mistake, but instead I sluggishly, yet ambitiously, move into the dense crowd. The woman calls after to me, but I shake my head, ignoring her frantic pleas. The taste of her lips are still on mine, and I wipe them off with the back of my hand, silently cursing myself. I still feel light-headed from the drug's after effects; my vision swims with slight blurriness but I blink it away, trying my best to focus on the path ahead of me.

Right now I awaken from the drugged trance; right now I bubble with anger for the main cause of this whole ordeal. I meander through the swarm of dancing bodies that reek of alcohol and musky cologne. My hands find arms and shoulders, pushing them out of my way as I push through. Mutters and shouts of protest are flung my way, but I am not fazed, I don't care. Limbs poke annoyingly at me as I struggle to get past a clump of woman, their soft chatter turning into grumbles of displeasure.

My eyes scan around the space before me, and I turn my body in a full rotation to get a glimpse of everything surrounding me. My head pounds with a numb pain, filling my eyesight with a dizzying haze and changing it to a narrow tunnel vision, limiting what I see clearly or not. I press the heel of my hand into my forehead and grit my teeth, desperately hoping that it would dim down the whirling bewilderment that had forced itself upon me. Even through the midst of my throbbing headache and giddy setup, I managed to continue clumsily walking forward. To my absolute luck and advantage, my eyes land perfectly, and with pure clarity, on the main cause of this whole ordeal: Marcus.

He stands in the cramp corner of the club that was rid of many patrons, holding a dark amber-tinted beer bottle and talking with another man. Their heads were bent closely forward as if they were exchanging secrets in hushed voices. I know that is Marcus, I just know it. The gloomy atmosphere with the occasional flicker of a colorful strobe light did not compel me to think otherwise. My hands clenched into fists to the point where my knuckles deepened with pain; venomous hatred coursed through my veins that ignited a special feeling within me that has not been aroused for a long time: the smoldering devastation of pure, sweet rage. The blood roared in my ears, muffling the distracting noises around me and ultimately making it easier to focus as I quickly pace over to my target.

Marcus remains engrossed in his conversation with the other man; his face was expressionless, eyes trained on the man and lips tightened. After a moment, he blossomed into a wide grin and threw back his head to guffaw, followed by bringing his hand holding the beer bottle up his mouth to take a sip. He was completely unaware of my upcoming presence as I neared him, and the same went for the stranger he was conversing with.

As I got closer to him, I unexpectedly opened my lips and shouted out, "You _bastard!_" My voice still had the hint of a slur to it due to my influence under the drug, but I clearly was loud and prominent over the loud music. Marcus and the man both snapped their gazes onto me; their eyes were widened and faces – especially Marcus' – suddenly drained pale. I grinned as the two men's expressions turned terrified – it was not only because they appeared to be scared of me, but because I began to feel myself being reeled back into reality. I have seemed to conquer the woozy effects of the drug, despite the fact that I will most likely be cursed by an aching head for the rest of the night. Aside from that, I was content that I now had self-control gifted back to me – as well as the ability to pummel Marcus into a bloody mess, and perhaps his friend too, if he so decides to resist and not flee.

I stepped up to Marcus, grabbing the collar of his fancy heather gray dress shirt, and shoved him against the wall. He grunted as I summed up all of the strength that I could conjure up and pulled him inches off the wall, but only to be thrown back the second time. My muscles were on fire, contracting as I pressed my hardened knuckles into his throat. He swatted and pried at my grip, but it did no justice for him; I was much stronger than he was.

The man, whom I assumed was Marcus' friend or associate, gasped and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him slowly back away. I tore my stare away from Marcus' misty eyes, and turned my head to glare at the man. His face constricted into a white canvas painted over with dark shades of fear, and he swiveled around, running off and crashing into people to get away. Marcus opened his mouth as if to either call for him to come back or chastise him for being a coward, but I struck him across the cheek, not hard enough to draw blood or crush cartilage but just enough to keep him quiet.

"You lying fucker," I couldn't help but smile as I shook my head in disbelief. "You just had to mess with me, huh? Why me, out of all these people? You don't know the hell you just got yourself into."

"Jack! Please, just listen to me," Marcus pleaded, his voice shaky with tears and frightened innocence.

"No, I will not listen to you. After all you've cause – " I paused, closing my eyes briefly and allowing the memory of Elsa, wretched and teary, watching me as I kissed another girl out of complete oblivion and foolishness. I sighed incoherently, dreading the consequences and realism that I will have to face once I escape the nightclub. I reopened my eyes, meeting Marcus' hazel orbs that were coated in sheer timidity. "You will never be forgiven," I hissed in his face. "You know what? I'm debating whether or not to pound your pretty face in. Or – ooh – maybe I should scar your most important aspect." I gestured with my knee to his crouch and he whimpered.

"No! P-please…please just listen to me," Marcus showed no deception in his paled face, but instead I found verity. He was telling the truth, and he was being a damn pussy about it too. I rolled my eyes, slightly relaxing my harsh grasp on him and surrendering to his words. I gave him a curt nod as if it was the queue for him to start talking again.

"Listen, I was blackmailed," he gulped and his eyes flickered around.

"Blackmailed?" I echoed, incredulous.

"Yeah, I was forced into drugging you and sabotaging your relationship with Elsa. I'm sorry, Jack, I really am. I didn't want to do it." He confessed.

I still couldn't believe what I was hearing; my mind was floating in a haze of unanswered questions and aversion. He had to be lying. "Who? Who blackmailed you?" I pressed on, digging my fingers into his shoulders. He sniveled lowly under his breath, but said nothing more.

"I can't tell you… He'd kill me if I did." Marcus cringed.

My face softened, replaced by a cocoon of vagueness. "Tell me, or I swear you will not be able to walk properly in the next few weeks when I'm done with you." I tried to have my tone come out as forceful and threatening, and that's exactly how it unfolded.

"Okay, okay, I'll confess!" Marcus says, his lips trembling and eyes ablaze with fear. "Connor Black…or Pitch, as you would call him. He put me up to this. Please don't hurt me!"

I froze, my blood turning to ice and my heart scrambling into my throat, rendering me speechless. Pitch was behind all of this? I shouldn't be surprised, yet I was – terrified too. It was no doubt the shadowy man would go through all this – hiring, along with the act of blackmailing, a simpleton to play the innocent and do all of his dirty work. I found it cowardly, pitiful. Why didn't Pitch carry out his revenge himself? There was a possible answer to: he was expelled from the academy like I had guessed, and he was lurking somewhere in the city, exacting his devious scheme to get back at me.

My hands loosened, eventually letting go, from Marcus' shirt. The collar and the surrounding fabric around it were stiffen and wrinkled in all angles. Most people would immediately brush off their clothing or fix the crinkles, but Marcus remained as still as a statue, his eyes glued onto mine, not daring to waver off. His lips were set in a thin line, brown hair becoming disheveled from its confinement in slick gel; he knew I was going to be shocked by the news of Pitch's payback plan, and he was slowly evolving into a more confident, brash person rather than his timid self that was definite a moment ago.

"So…" I began, my voice soft and fragile. "This was all Pitch's handiwork, huh?"

"Yes," Marcus nods. "Can you please let me go now?"

"No," I retort. "You're going to tell me exactly where this sly bastard is hiding, okay? Don't you dare refuse; my threat still stands."

"O-okay," Marcus sinks back to his former shell of cowardly terror.

"Actually, before you do that, tell me: how do you and Pitch know each other? Or did he just pick you out of that sea of repulsive douchebags to carry out his plan?" I say, my teeth grinding together.

"N-no… well, Pitch and I know each other; we have for a while now. I wouldn't say we were the best of friends because he was rude and spewed snide remarks at me occasionally. But we stayed associates, and he eventually started to warm up to me, I guess. We first met in a café in downtown New York. He looked lonely, so I went on over and decided to strike up a conversation. At first he came off as obscene and distant, but I managed to get him talking to me and that's where we are today," Marcus paused, looking at me.

"Is that it?" I mutter.

"Well…" He bites his lower lip and diverts his gaze up to the ceiling. "There is one more thing that would conclude this as a whole, but you may not like it."

"What? Tell me." I urged, knitting my brow into a scowl.

"Pitch is… apart of a gang; he's the leader." Marcus says, and beads of sweat are forming on his forehead, slicking the brown strands that have fallen down. I stare at him, unable to comprehend his very words. I knew Pitch was no good, but now he's the leader of a gang? Gangs are notorious for causing trouble and mischief, but a few – and I emphasize on few – actually do nothing outrageous.

"A gang, you say?" I press my lips together and look to the dark floor, my eyes tracing over a strip of neon orange duct tape. "Are you a member too?"

"Not exactly," Marcus responds. "But I do prove to be a close ally."

"How many people make up this gang?"

"Only a handful. The reason why you don't hear about them is because they don't really do much crime or violation. They're like silent assassins, except they don't kill people."

"Do you they have a purpose?"

"Honestly, I don't think so. They're just there, hiding within the city." Marcus says.

"Interesting," I say with a lick of sarcasm splintering my tone.

"I know you're going to ask me this so I'll tell you anyways," Marcus eyes me. "I don't know where they reside. And Pitch? I have no idea where he is either."

"Are you lying to me?" I glare at him and he sucks in a shaky breath.

"No! After Pitch assigned me this task, I haven't seen him since. That was merely a week ago."

"Okay. By the way, you mentioned Pitch blackmailed you into doing it. What exactly did he threaten?" I say.

"Uh," Marcus looks away, bashful. "I'd rather not say."

"Fine." I grumble and back away from him, raking a hand through my hair which is slightly damp with sweat. His shoulders relax from extreme tension and he takes a step forward as if he plans to bolt away. "Don't you dare move," I point a finger at him and he freezes in place. "If you ever see Pitch again, tell him that I _will_ get back at him for what he has done. As for you," I shoot a glare at Marcus. "I have not forgiven you, even if it wasn't your idea to do this. I'll let you off with a warning: if I ever see you around again, you're dead, you hear me?"

Marcus nods briskly, his hands clenched and shaking at his sides. I give him one final dirty look before turning on my heels and rushing out of the club. I don't look around for Anna and Kristoff, or any other of my friends who have come. They're probably lost somewhere deep in the crowds, engaged in dancing or distracted by the banging music. I find the exit without having to get through any more people and clamber up the staircase, my breathing increasing with each heavy step I take.

The illusion of the drug has worn off, but my head was still pounding with a nagging ache. As I reach the outside, wintry air collides with my face, essentially cooling down my warm skin obtained from the intoxication and mass of many bodies. There was no line waiting to get into the club and the bouncer was gone, most likely on break. I felt relieved that there was no one in sight to see me like this, distressed and a complete wreck.

I make a break toward the parking lot where my car was. As I pass the buildings to my left, my breath breaching from my mouth as cloudy puffs, I stick a hand into my pocket. My fingers touch the metallic covering of my car keys. Elsa couldn't have taken the car back to the academy, nor would she possibly walk in this cold. There was a sense of dread boiling in the pit of my stomach. It wasn't safe for a young girl to be walking alone in the heart of such a massive, crime-riddled city.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ I had the temptation to repeatedly hit myself, but I held back the urge. I knew I shouldn't have gone to this club, I knew I shouldn't have gone near Marcus, but I did anyways. And here I am now, caught in a sticky web of dejection and heartache and lies. But what Marcus had said still rang in my head. It wasn't most of his fault, but I should remain angry with him. He did agree and fulfill Pitch's desire to see me break down. I'll get back at both of them – mainly Pitch – but for now, I had to get to Elsa.

I made it to the parking lot which has been slightly emptied out, with the expectation of a few cars parked in place. My eyes dart to my precious blue Mustang that was still in the same place where I saw it. That was good, I suppose. Elsa didn't manage to somehow hotwire and steal it to get the hell away from me. But where could she possibly be? My first thought was to the academy; it was where she resided and slept and mostly hung about anyways, so I elected to go there first.

* * *

When I arrived back to the school grounds, the campus was under the spell of tranquility and silence like it was during the late times of every night. I parked my car in my reserved spot and ran through the opened golden gates that welcome anyone into the academy. Streetlamps dotted the outlines of the cobblestone pathway, illuminating the nighttime darkness with an aura of bright golden rays. Very few students of all ages stirred at this time, and the ones that I did encounter along the way paid no attention to me as I hurried past.

Despite the cold air that had the smell of impending snowflakes – a scent I thoroughly loved – I was sweating under my thin shirt and leather jacket. The jacket did not bestow much warmth or protection against the crisp weather, and yet sweat still masked my back and around my lower abdomen. It must be all this running; it must be the violent whirlwind of nervousness and angst that was swirling within me.

I scurried up the staircase leading to the Crystal dormitory and I burst through the twin doorway. The lobby and lounge were mostly vacant; residents were beginning to shuffle into the elevator and up the stairs to get to their rooms. Clarisse sat at the front desk, staring at the screen of her laptop. Her eyes lifted up from underneath the reading glasses that fitted her face boldly and she arched an eyebrow quizzically at me.

"Jack? Are you okay?" she asks, but I was already running toward the stairway, shoving open the wooden door and running up the stairs. I reached the third floor in a matter of seconds and hastily began walking down the long carpeted stretch. Girls were filing into their dorms, and some pajama-cladded ones were making their way to the bathrooms, a colorful toiletry kit or towel clutched in a hand. A few girls stared at me, wondering why in the world a boy was here and ruining their privacy. I ignored them, my mind trained on only one and only thought.

Elsa's room came into view and I placed both hands, palms facing down, upon the door and rested my forehead on the cool mahogany surface. I was exhausted, oh so exhausted… My heart was racing from the running and the anxiety of seeing Elsa. What if she hates me? The unfaithfulness – something that was part of my drugged unconscious and not intentional at all – was unforgivable, at least from her point of view, as she does not know the truth behind it all. But then again, she may not believe me. I dreaded that exact idea.

I clenched a hand into a fist and knocked softly, calling out, "Elsa? It's me, Jack. Please open up."

No response. I didn't even hear the shuffle of feet or anything like that. I was answered with silence that deafened me, tearing my very soul apart.

"_Please_," I urged again, my teeth gritted. "Just listen to me. It was all a mistake, everything. What you saw was an accident. I didn't want to do it, but it happened."

Silence once again greeted me and all of my hope was slowly draining away. I was about to push away and leave, racked by heartache and loneliness, but I perked as the door beneath my hands was yanked open. I retracted all of the weight that had sunk to my hands against the door and I straightened up in posture, my fingernails digging into the calloused skin on my palms.

Who stood on the other side was not Elsa, but Merida. My heart plunged with disappointment, but I tried to look the same instead of throwing out a frown. Merida appeared unscathed by any change: her curvy frame was covered heavily by baggy black sweatpants, a green hoodie that was zipped down to her chest, revealing a gray tank top underneath, and her fiery red hair was as frizzy and out of control as ever. Her pale face was molded into an angry scowl, blue eyes shimmering with hate.

"What do you want?" she spat, and I was surprised at her sudden hatred toward me, even though she did seem like a naturally bad-tempered girl.

"I want to speak to Elsa," I say.

"You fucking broke her heart, you dick." Merida hissed, her thin brow deepening into a furthermore intimidating expression.

"Please, just let me see her. I want to explain everything." I begged, unfazed by her harsh words, but I really was on the inside.

Merida searched my face, hesitance glittering in her eyes, but she gave me a curt nod. "Fine. Wait here for a moment." She closed the door, but didn't shut it all the way to the point where it clicks, as if she was shielding any unknown forces going on within the room. I stood in place, my hands gently patting at my thighs and the vile of fear lodged in my throat, making it difficult to swallow it away.

After a minute of quivering anticipation, the door reopened, and I found myself looking down at the petite physique of Elsa. The beautiful dress that she wore earlier tonight was now replaced by blue pajama pants and a loose cyan sweatshirt that showed off her bare shoulders, revealing the baby blue straps of a bra. Her platinum hair remained intact of its braid, but her bangs were now disheveled and drooped effortlessly down her forehead. Her gorgeous face looked unusually pale and sickly; her cheeks were stained with tears and the faint trail of mascara.

Elsa's blue eyes, which were now dull and puffy, stared up at me. Her expression held neither content nor hatred for my presence; it instead was placid. I found this bewildering. Most girls would be cursing, angry, fists flying in all directions if she saw her cheating boyfriend again. But I was no cheater, not even close. I would never be one. Elsa was calm upon seeing me, her regal posture not shifting as she stood in the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Jack," She says my name in a serene tone, her eyes not faltering from mine.

"Elsa, please, just listen to me," I say, taking a step closer to her, but she backs away. "What you saw back at the club was not the real me."

"Obviously," she retorts, her face now twisting in a scowl.

I sigh, closing my eyes for a quick second. "I was _drugged_, alright? Marcus deceived me; that bastard tricked me into thinking he was innocent and friendly, but really he was not. He slipped something into my drink and that made me do things I would never ever do if I was sober. He told me that Pitch was actually behind all of this. It was Pitch…" The jumble of words came out fast, but still all understandable.

Elsa stared at me, unblinking. Silence grappled at the two of us and I was afraid that she wouldn't believe me.

"You've got to be kidding me," Elsa mutters, her slender arms crossing over her chest. "Is that really the best excuse you can come up with?"

I knew this was going to happen. Her very words were like shards of broken glass piercing into my heart. My breath hitched, and I stare at her with wide eyes.

"No, no, you don't understand," I waved both of my hands in front of me. "Pitch blackmailed Marcus into drugging me. He wanted revenge on me for getting him expelled, and also for beating him pretty badly a while ago. Please, Elsa, just hear me out." My eyes tore away from hers, drilling into the floor below and occasional flickering to my sneakers.

Elsa exhaled a huff and I couldn't tell if it was exasperated or forgiving. "I'm sorry, Jack, but I just don't believe you. Whether you were really drugged or not, what I witnessed you doing with that woman – " She paused in mid-sentence and scrunched her face into a wince. I felt a pang slice into my chest, and ultimately sinking down to the core of my heart. My arms tingled in a way that I had the sudden urge to move forward and wrap them around her, but I knew that would only make her annoyed.

"What you did with her was unforgivable. Listen, I don't think this can continue any longer…" She rubbed at her arm and ducked her head to avoid meeting my gaze.

I stared at her, the impact of her words weighing down on my mind with shattering strength. "W-what do you mean?"

"_Us,_ Jack," Her voice was barely a whisper. "I can't go on with you anymore."

So this was how it was going to end. It was bound to happen sometime in the future, but I was hoping and praying that it wouldn't with me and Elsa. I guess I was wrong. I bite my tongue, holding back the scream that was brewing within me. Tears were welling in my eyes, and I found it a struggle to focus clearly on the blonde girl before me. As I blinked away the blurriness, I saw that she was fighting tears as well. She was just as heartbroken as I was.

"I'm sorry," Elsa sobbed, her voice cracking as she spoke those words. She placed a hand over her mouth and stepped back into the room, grabbing the door and closing it, leaving me alone in the hallway.

* * *

**I deeply apologize if you are drowning in feelings at the moment ;_;**


	27. Chapter 27

**Wow, I've been reading the reviews from the recent chapter and you guys are quite emotional, huh? ;D There's no need to be sad anymore because this chapter will uplift your spirits - well - in a way it will. And I'm sorry to say that these are the last few chapters before the story will be drawing to an end... But no worries, I will announce some good news later on. :)**

* * *

**Elsa's POV**

As soon as the door shut, producing a sharp click that rung throughout the room, I turned around and pressed my back against the wooden frame. My knees buckled and I slid down to the floor, shrinking my legs in and hugging them to my chest. My vision was quickly filling with tears, making it a battle to focus clearly. I unclasped my arms from around my bent legs and buried my face into my hands. The tears spilled over like water bursting from a broken dam. My palms were growing moist and I stifled back a choking sob.

_Why?!_ The same word bounced around within my mind, screaming at me with vicious velocity. Part of me hated Jack for what he had done and wanted him to be as far away as possible from me, but the other half of me regretted for breaking it off with him. I felt as if he was being honest to me. Jack would never be one to lie so frequently; but then again, he was probably sugarcoating his words and attempting to make them sound truthful.

There was a swelling ache deep in my chest, blossoming into a much intense pain with every shaky breath I sucked in. The tears were wetting and staining my cheeks with their salty bitterness, and ultimately stinging my eyes as if sea water was just sprayed in them. There was a tingle in my arms; it was the urge to force myself up and run back to Jack. As much as I may still need him, I knew it was all a lie. This temptation was just gnawing away at my heartstrings and making matters worse. Jack doesn't deserve anyone special for his heartbreaking actions.

A soft weight touched my arm and I lifted my face up. Blinking through the coating of blurriness, I saw Merida crouched down, sympathy and concern shining in her eyes. She offered me a thin smile and I appreciated her consideration, but it still didn't make me feel any better. I said nothing, but instead buried my face in my knees and sobbed some more.

"Oh, c'mere," Merida wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into an enormous bear hug. Even through the slight suffocation and her frizzy hair tickling my nose, I did no more than move a muscle. Her affectionate gesture calmed me, and the tears began to subside for now. "You'll get over him," Merida mumbled into my shoulder; my limbs tensed and I can tell she noticed it. She retracted from our embrace and sat cross-legged in front of me.

"I don't know if I will… He was so good to me – well until earlier tonight – and I loved him." I squeezed my eyes shut in order to refrain from crying again. Merida, from what I could see through the slits of my eyesight, gave me a small smile and reached over to pat my leg gently.

"I know," she says softly. "Honestly, I don't really know how to comfort people after heartbreaks…" She trailed off and was silent for a moment. "I'll just give ya some space." I nod stiffly and hear her stand up and slowly walk away from my slouched position, toward her own bed. She obviously wasn't going to step out of the room since I was stuck in front of the door. I sat there for a little while, occasionally succumbing to the buildup of tears and letting it all out, or just sitting there, rigid and staring blankly at my shoes.

There was a knock at the door and I felt it budge as the person behind it tried to push it open. I groaned breathlessly and crawled away, allowing them to swing it open. I found a spot against the wall and once again got into my scrunched posture, overlooking whoever entered under my eyelashes.

Anna walks in; her face was streaked with worry and strands of her light red hair were falling down from the tight bun in her hair. I straightened my back, but didn't move much from where I was. Anna's head turned and caught sight of me, her eyes widening and mouth opening as if to say something, but nothing came out. She scurried over to me and stooped low to my side, her small hands clutching at my arm.

"Elsa? What happened?" she asks and I just shake my head, not bothering to utter a sound.

"Please, you can tell me." Anna urged. "I noticed you ran away from the nightclub, so I came back to look for you." I looked up at her, meeting her teal eyes. Those eyes were so familiar, so beautiful. I've known them since we were children. We would play together all the time; whether it be running around in a game of tag or toying with our dolls, Anna and I got along so well. Her eyes would lighten up every time she giggled or had fun during one of our mischievous acts. It was a marvelous childhood. Sometimes I wish to go back to those times.

"Her and Jack broke up." Merida spoke up before I could even think about talking. My eyes darted to her and through the thin film of tears I could see that she was sitting upon her bed, poking at the beady eyeballs of one of her beanie babies. Anna glanced from the redhead to me, her face suddenly drained to a ghostly pale.

"W-what? Is that true, Elsa?" I nod and cover my eyes with a hand so that she wouldn't see me cry. I feel her slender arms snake around me and tighten, engulfing me into another embrace. She spelled of flowery perfume with the faint trace of alcohol, but I knew she hadn't been drinking. My sister hated alcohol; however, she would drink a glass of wine for special occasions.

"I'm so, so sorry," Anna whispered into my hair, and I was silent once more. It seems like the words or sounds I wanted to make were getting entangled on my tongue; they were being dragged back down my throat by an unknown force, clawing at my esophagus as they struggled to breach the surface.

Suddenly the door was shoved open without any knock beforehand and Kristoff lumbered in. He appeared frantic, his shaggy hair in disarray and muscles taut with tension. Anna glimpsed back at him and stood up from her crouch, quickly walking over to her boyfriend. She placed a hand on his bicep and stared into his wide, brown eyes.

"What is it, Kris?" she murmured so lowly that I barely heard it.

"I-It's Jack," he began, his breathing coming jagged and fast. I perked up at the mention of his name. I shouldn't have, though, but my body instinctively shot up as if there were wires tied around my arms, heaving me onto my feet. Anna took a quick glance over at me, baffled at my sudden awaken spirit, but she focused back on Kristoff.

"What about him?" Anna asked.

"He went out to try and find Pitch. Apparently he was the one behind all of these schemes. I tried to talk him out of it, but Jack was so upset, so hellbent on revenge, that he nearly screamed in my face." Kristoff snapped his gaze onto me and I felt my blood run ice cold. "Elsa," He moved so close to me that I could almost smell the cheap cologne on him. "Please, I know you're angry with Jack, but he was explaining the truth to you the entire time. He was drugged by Marcus, who was blackmailed by Pitch to do it. If you won't believe Jack, at least believe me."

I stared back at him in disbelief. The truth was crashing down on me one word at a time. Jack was telling the truth after all? I shrunk back against the wall, my head becoming dizzy and my legs wobbly. I broke up with Jack out of my own ignorant stubbornness, and now he was risking his life to find the man he thought was the cause to all of this. Pitch could be armed; Jack might not live to see the morning. I suddenly felt queasy.

Without even thinking twice, I brushed past both Kristoff and Anna, and shot out of the dorm. I heard them call for me, but they sounded muffled and inaudible to me – I was more focused on trying to get to Jack. How could I've been so foolish? I knew Jack would never lie and that he was most likely telling the truth, but I still broke it off without much hesitation. I raced down the hallway – while avoiding slamming into other girls by swiftly maneuvering around them – and continued down the stairs, steadying my steps so that I wouldn't trip and fall.

The lobby was empty and eerily quiet; most of the lights on the ceiling were off, casting a dim shadow over the tiled floor. With the remaining radiance that still shined by a few bulbs, I quickly found the exit and ran out in the cold air. I didn't know what time is was, but it was definitely sometime late in the night. The campus was still with the exception of a handful of night owls walking around.

I had no idea what I was doing. It was nearly midnight, the cold was slowly numbing my face, and I didn't know where to even start looking for Jack. I debated about speaking with Marcus, or maybe going back to Kristoff to get more information out of him, but I was already close to the golden gates of the academy. I ran into the parking lot and went up to the driver's door of my car. My hand trembled violently as I dug through my pocket for the keys and slid them into the lock.

As the door unlocked, I jumped into the seat and revved the engine to life. I backed up and drove onto the main road that traveled within the city itself. The term 'New York never sleeps' is accurately true; vehicles of all shapes and sizes crowded the roads as I turned onto the intersection and the stoplights gleamed red, yellow, and green with every switch it made. I entered a less cramped neighborhood street and decided to pull over to the side. I know it didn't sound safe, but perhaps I should peer into the many alleyways lining the city. That's one way in finding Jack since most crimes occur in them.

I got out of my car, slamming the door as I did, and proceeded onto the sidewalk. The only clothing I wore was sweatpants, boots – I managed to snag them before running out – and a dark baggy hoodie draped over my cyan sweatshirt. The mildly breezy wind whipped my hair around; loose strands annoyingly tickled my cheeks and nose, so I pushed them back. I passed by a narrow alleyway and glanced in: nothing. It was just dark and dank and smelled of raw sewerage. I wrinkled by nose in disgust and continued walking on.

As I approached another alleyway, the sounds of fighting infiltrated my ears. There were grunts, low and as rough as sandpaper, along with a scream or a venomous curse. I suspected it to be a struggle between two men, judging by the deep, masculine sounding growls. I hurried over to the edge of the wall that opened up to the alley. I peered over and I felt all of the color fade from my face, my heart hammering in my chest as it threatened to sink down to my stomach.

This alleyway was particularly lit by a flickering streetlamp high above, and in the visible light I saw two figures wrestling with each other. The flash of white hair caught my attention and I saw Jack topple to the ground, dust flying up in the air around him and dirtying his sleek jacket. He groaned and cursed through gritted teeth as he shakily stood back up. There was a thin trail of blood running from his nose and he wiped it away furiously with the back of his hand.

Standing before him was a tall, lean, and dark-clothed man: Pitch. His stance was straight and regal, completely opposing Jack's which was bent over in pain. I had the urge to run in there and intervene in their fight, but that was suicide; I knew I had no chance. Instead, I laid low and observed from my distance.

Jack brushed off his pant legs and glared at Pitch through the tousled strands of his hair that fell over his eyes. They continued to stare each other down, not moving and not speaking. Jack was breathing heavily, his hand clutching his side, and Pitch gazed back, the glimmer of amusement flaring in his dark eyes. The silence was broken as Jack lunged forward, eliciting a frustrated roar, and aimed his fists right for Pitch's exposed torso.

However, the shadowy man was quicker. He darted out of the way, but in the meantime he lifted the flap of his jacket and slid something out from inside. I could only watch in horror as the object in his hand was actually a bowie knife, and he rammed the blade into Jack's left thigh. I squeezed by eyes shut and sucked in a gasp as Jack cried out. Pitch flexed his hand and stepped closer to Jack, who was now lying on the ground, holding his thigh that had a knife lodged into the flesh. Dark crimson was beginning to stain the area around the knife wound and he softly screamed, his face contorting into a twist of pain and anger.

Pitch chuckled lowly and clasped his hands behind his back. "You really think you can defeat me, Frost? You're a fool for thinking that."

Jack didn't respond. He was painfully sucking in breaths and muttering curses; his eyes occasionally flickered up to glare at Pitch, rage flashing in his blue orbs that looked almost dark in the dim lighting. Pitch reached back into the flap of his jacket and all I could see what the glint of steel as he pulled out something I dreaded. His pale fingers slithered around the handle of the pistol, and he raised it, not quite settling it on Jack, but rather anticipating the moment when he will.

My instincts kicked in and my eyes quickly surveyed my surroundings. If I didn't do something soon, Jack will surely die under Pitch's hand. To my advantage, the shine of lustrous glass grabbed by attention and I looked down to see a dark-tinted beer bottle lying in the filth of the ground. My hand shot down and scooped up the cracked bottle. Glancing back over the wall, Pitch still towered over Jack, his gun aimed at him and poised to fire any minute. I stepped out in the opening of the alley and threw the bottle at Pitch with all of my force. My aim is usually terrible, whether it is for throwing balls or archery, but luck was on my side at this moment in time.

The glass bottle struck Pitch on the back of the head, shattering into many shards as it crashed into him. He yelled out, but was silenced as he crumpled to the ground, limp and unmoving. The gun in his hand was released and fell with a harsh clank against the concrete. I couldn't tell if he was dead or not, but that didn't matter. I ran over to Jack's side and crouched down, grabbing him by the arms. His own hands were bloody from groping at his wound.

"Jack! Oh, please answer me," I murmured to him as I cradled his head against my chest. His eyes were closed, lips tightened and refusing to open. He felt cold and lifeless, but he was very much alive. I pressed an ear to his chest and was relieved when the gentle patting of his heart greeted me.

"Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry…" I whispered, my eyes starting to flood with tears as I brushed my lips on his cheek. I was hoping he would awaken and answer me back, but he was already unconscious.


End file.
